


Captured Hearts Part 2: Edges of Oblivion

by Spunky0ne



Series: Captured Hearts [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-21
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2017-11-08 06:39:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 66,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/440260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tetsuya makes a shocking discovery that leads him to probe into Sousuke Aizen's past. When he disappears under mysterious circumstances, Aizen and Byakuya join forces to find him. But the truth they find just might kill them all...Aizen/Tetsuya mpreg</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Seedling

XXXXXXXXXX

One life by day, by night another...light and dark were not meant to touch. But you touch me, and they crash together. Thus is our world undone...

XXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 1: Seedling

Tetsuya stood quietly at the top of the huge waterfall, listening to the crash of the water as it rained down into the large blue lake below him. In the meadow beyond the lake, his tall black stallion grazed contentedly. Tetsuya sighed, still feeling the deep warmth of his secret lover's seed circling inside him, and sinking into the loveliness and sweet scents of his surroundings.

He felt a shift in the reiatsu around him and touched the hilt of his zanpakutou, then flash stepped down into the meadow. Arashi glanced up at him, then snorted softly and ambled away as the presence his master had sensed grew closer.

"You may as well attack," said the young noble, "I already know where you are."

"Scatter..."

Tetsuya turned suddenly, drawing and releasing Re-kuhime in a heartbeat. And before Byakuya's shikai command was complete, a spray of water splashed onto his blade and froze, stopping Senbonzakura's release.

"Commendable," Byakuya said, stepping out from the trees, "You released your weapon without giving the verbal command. But...having done that, you know what to expect, ne?"

Tetsuya didn't answer, but flash stepped out of the path of a stunning blast of blue kido fire. He turned and flash stepped again, loosing a series of blast of kido as he set a number of waterforms in the meadow and flash stepped clear of a swell of pink petal blades.

"Ah, well thought out," Byakuya said approvingly, "But what will you do when you fight an opponent who knows you? One who knows your abilities?"

Tetsuya's face registered surprise as petal blades swept the field, quickly destroying all of his set waterforms. They followed him as he flash stepped again, destroying the waterforms he attempted to set as a replacelment. The petals then closed in on him and tried to wrap around him. Tetsuya watched in dismay as everything around him turned a deceptively lovely shade of pink.

"Ban kai, Koori no Bakuha, Re-kuhime," Tetsuya said calmly.

Byakuya watched as the sphere of blades that had engulfed his cousin exploded outward, then flash stepped clear as Tetsuya's ice blades erupted from Re-kuhime and closed in on him. He destroyed the ice blades easily with petal blades and blasts of kido, then flash stepped in and slashed at his cousin with his blade. He inhaled in surprise as the image of Tetsuya splashed to the ground as water, then sensed his cousins attack, just as Tetsuya's sword came crashing down onto his.

The two men moved into a heavy exchange of sword strikes, kido and hakudo. Byakuya moved to corner his cousin near a cluster of boulders, but caught his breath in surprise as Tetsuya's body splashed to the ground as water again, and he appeared behind the clan leader, attacking with a stunning jump kick, then flash stepping and taking up a position a few meters away. He looked back at Byakuya, panting softly and holding his blade ready.

He sensed a swell of petals coming in from the side and pointed his blade at them, sending out a spray of water that captured them and froze them, making them shatter and fall to the ground.

"Resourceful," said Byakuya, "But what will you do now?"

He raised his sword, tip down and released it.

"Ban kai, senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Tetsuya watched quietly as the pink swords rose around him, enclosing the two men in Byakuya's lovely fighting environs.

"You have met me in this place many times," Byakuya said, looking into his eyes, "And every time, you have been defeated. Yet each time you were defeated, you learned something that you carried into the next battle. Remember, as we fight that your waterforms will not work here...all defense is sacrificed to kill the enemy."

"I understand," Tetsuya said, standing ready.

"Prepare yourself, watashi no itoko. Here I come."

Tetsuya met Byakuya in the center of the fighting chamber, where he blocked a breathtaking strike, then fended off a hard kick, another slash and a blinding flash of kido.

_So...strong! Tetsuya thought, flash stepping, blocking and flash stepping again._

He managed to block the heavy onslaught of attacks, but was forced several times to give ground. Senbonzakura nicked his sword hand, then scored a glancing blow on his shoulder.

_This is why I have failed in the past. He is so strong with everything devoted to killing his enemy, that while I am trying to gain an opening to attack, he is beating down my defenses with brute force!_

"You are taking damage, Tetsuya," said the clan leader, "Do you yield?"

"No!" the younger noble answered instantly.

_My defenses are also useless...so no waterforms..._

Senbonzakura crashed down on Re-kuhime and pain shot through Tetsuya's braced body at the force of it.

"Tetsuya..."

"No, I won't give in!" he panted, blocking another savage strike.

_Ice blades are ineffective in such confinement...and water attacks..._

He gave a hard cry of pain as Senbonzakura glanced off his sword arm and cut into his leg.

_W-wait! if I can..._

He summoned a spray of water and enveloped Byakuya's blade, but as he started to freeze it, Byakuya's reiatsu exploded around him and the ice shattered and fell away. Tetsuya's breath left him as Byakuya's body crashed into his, taking him off his feet and sending him forcefully to the ground, a short distance away.

He was on his knees in a moment, but his head swam as dizziness washed over him.

"Tetsuya, do you yield?"

The younger man remained on his knees, panting harshly and watching as Byakuya took a step towards him.

Tetsuya glanced down for a moment at where Re-kuhime rested on the ground, but still in his hand.

"Do you yield?" Byakuya said, closing in on him and raising his blade to strike.

Tetsuya's head lifted proudly as he shoved his blade into the nearest of the pink swords that made up the fighting chamber.

"N-nawaka...sh-shima!" he gasped.

Byakuya's eyes widened as the sword that Tetsuya had impaled turned white, then the whiteness spread until the swords making up the boundary of the fighting chamber were completely encased in ice.

"Kudakero!" hissed Tetsuya, as Byakuya slashed at him and Re-kuhime rose up in defense.

The swords of Byakuya's senkei rumbled warningly, then exploded outward. The reiatsu expended in the destruction of the clan leader's senkei left Tetsuya reeling as the fighting chamber fell apart and disappeared, leaving the two shinigamis in the middle of the, once again, quiet meadow. Byakuya watched silently as Tetsuya took a few more panting breaths, then collapsed onto the long grass and lost consciousness.

"Well done, watashi no itoko," he said proudly, "No one has ever destroyed my senkei except for me. Exceptional..."

He sheathed his sword, then walked to where Tetsuya laid on the grass. He carefully removed Re-kuhime from her collapsed master's hand and returned her to her sheath, then lifted Tetsuya into his arms and carried him back to the lake's edge. He set Tetsuya down in the shade and restored his reiatsu, then healed the minor injuries his cousin had received. Afterwards, he gathered a small amount of water from the lake and gently cooled Tetsuya's face with it. The younger man stirred and let out a soft breath, then opened his eyes and looked up at the shinigami leaning over him.

"Defeated again, ne?" he laughed softly.

"You destroyed my senkei," commented Byakuya, "You are coming dangerously close to someday defeating me. You should be proud. I am, Tetsuya. You have become very strong."

Tetsuya sat up and accepted a drink of water from his cousin's cupped hands.

"Arigato, Byakuya," the younger man answered, "But we both know that I owe my increasing strength to you. I have learned so much from you."

"I have instructed you," Byakuya agreed, "But the strength to succeed and the will to advance had to come from within you. You are to be commended."

"Again, I thank you."

He leaned against Byakuya's shoulder, looking quietly at their reflection in the water.

"Your reiatsu was low again today," Byakuya commented, "I am surprised you managed to pull off what you did before collapsing. Did you see the clan healer as I told you to do?"

"Yes," said the younger noble, blinking slowly and letting out a contented sigh, "and he said that I may still be affected somewhat by the use of my divine form."

"But Arashi is at full reiatsu."

"Yes," Tetsuya said, nodding, "But he hasn't been managing a seat on our council, as well as physical training and interning in Central 46."

Byakuya smiled and shook his head gently.

"No, he is not...and I must say that I am glad that I am not."

He sighed and nuzzled closer to his cousin.

"I would not be able to tolerate a diplomatic position like that. I am much more accustomed to enforcing policy, rather than making it."

"But if everyone became a Gotei 13 captain, then who would make the policies to guide them. And besides...I have a promise to keep. I promised myself as I sat beside Naoki's grave that I would make sure that no one suffered what we did...that there would be justice and fair application of the laws...for everyone, not just for those who wear a noble name."

"Hmmm," said Byakuya, "Though I agree with that point of view, I think you have your work cut out for you. But assuming you approach it with the same dedication you have applied to our training, I think you will be successful."

"Thank you," Tetsuya said, smiling, "I appreciate your confidence in me."

"It is well placed."

Byakuya looked around and spotted Arashi drinking from the lake a short distance away.

"Why don't we ride back?" he suggested, "Despite my bolstering your reiatsu, it still seems low."

"I am just weary...and still suffering the effects of my...adventure."

Byakuya gazed at him quietly as he stood and walked to Arashi.

"Have you heard from him?"

Tetsuya bit his lip gently.

"Only in my dreams," he answered softly, "It is the only safe place for him, ne?"

"I am sorry, Tetsuya," the clan leader said, "but it is my duty to ask."

"It's all right. I understand."

Tetsuya climbed onto Arashi's back and helped Byakuya to climb up behind him. The stallion walked slowly back to the trail that wound in a long set of switchbacks, up to the top of the cliff. He reached the top and carried them past the waterfall, through the quiet forest and to the back gate of the manor. They dismounted and Tetsuya dismissed the stallion with a gentle swat on the rump. Arashi turned and broke into a trot, heading back towards the waterfall and meadow.

"I know our own council is in recess," said Byakuya, "but will you be meeting with Councilor Yukimura today?"

"Later this afternoon, yes," Tetsuya answered, following Byakuya through the gates and into the gardens, "I am following up on some reports of odd goings on in the upper Rukongai...some talk of an opposition group that is up in arms about Ryuu Saito's conviction and sentence last week. I am of the same mind as Norio. If the rest of the council would give more thought ahead of time to what the response to such things is likely to be, they might head off some of these things before they started."

"Well, that is why they need you, watashi no itoko," Byakuya said, leading him onto the walkway, "If anyone can effect some sanity on that arrogant group, I know you and Councilor Yukimura can."

"Arigato...for the vote of confidence."

"You are welcome," Byakuya said, nodding, "Now, why don't you go and rest a bit before that meeting this afternoon. Otherwise, those other councilors will knock you unconscious with their ridiculous rhetoric."

Tetsuya laughed and shook his head, watching as Byakuya walked into his bedroom, then following the wooden walkway down to his own room. He had only just stepped inside when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, and he felt the touch of Kyouka Suigetsu's power hiding their meeting from other eyes. Tetsuya turned in the other man's arms and met him for a sweet exchange of passionate kisses that ended with Tetsuya lying on his back on the bed, with his amorous lover lying on top of him and slipping his hands beneath the younger man's clothes to gently explore his body as they talked.

"You were just here last night," Tetsuya said, smiling, "Have you become so attached that you cannot go through the day without me? I thought that you had business in the living world."

"I did," said Aizen, "but I thought that it would be more enjoyable to watch your sparring match with Byakuya, so I rescheduled my other business. You did exceptionally well."

"Thank you," Tetsuya chuckled, "But when all was said and done, I was still the one lying on the ground, unconscious."

"But you did destroy his senkei...not something that just anyone can do, ne?"

"No," agreed the younger man, "You are right about that. I still want to be strong enough to defeat him."

"Well, you won't do that with your reiatsu so low."

"Oh, gods, don't you start in on me too," sighed Tetsuya, "I have been to see that clan healer. The man can find nothing wrong with me. He says that, except for the low reiatsu, I am in insanely good health. Arashi hasn't sensed anything either...and he would if I had some kind of dangerous condition. It is just lingering traces of the outlay of power I sacrificed to use my divine form. It has only been a few months since then. Re-kuhime says that even though full reiatsu returned within a month, I may feel the effects for some time. It was a lot of power to manage...but then, we needed it."

"Yes," agreed Aizen, "We did."

They went quiet, then, falling into a sweet storm of kisses as Aizen's hands slowly undressed the younger man. Tetsuya laid back and spread his thighs easily, welcoming the invasion of the other man's fingers into his entrance.

"I don't...know that you need to waste time on that," Tetsuya managed between kisses, "We were together only a few hours ago."

"I know that," Aizen said, licking his earlobe and then nipping at the skin of his throat, "I just enjoy touching you inside."

"Y-you won't hear me complaining," Tetsuya said, a little breathlessly as Aizen's fingers pushed in deeply and found pleasure center inside him.

He groaned dizzily as the man's fingers slid out of him again and were replaced with his hot, swollen erection. Aizen gave him no time to react, but pushed inside him somewhat roughly, making Tetsuya groan again and claw at the blankets as his lover began thrusting immediately.

"O-oh! S-sousuke!" gasped the younger man, moving his hips to deepen Aizen's penetration into his body.

Aizen's brown eyes watched raptly as Tetsuya's lovely white body writhed hotly beneath his and the younger man's words faded into senseless, panting exclamations of intense pleasure. His hand wrapped around Tetsuya's damp arousal, stroking it in time with their movements and bringing the young noble to the edges of bliss. He made his thrusts hard and fast, pushing Tetsuya into that long, breathless tumble into release. He cried out lustily as he climaxed, then louder as Aizen's cock spasmed inside him, filling him and leaving him unable to move or speak. He laid on the bed, looking up dazedly into his lover's eyes. Then, before Aizen could speak, he lost consciousness altogether.

"Tetsuya," Aizen said, touching his face and reading the younger man's reiatsu.

He frowned at realizing it had receded again. Loosing an unhappy sigh, he used Kyouka Suigetsu's power to make himself appear as a house attendant. He left the room, pulling his clothes back into place and called for a house healer. He watched as the healer entered Tetsuya's room and found him unconscious, but bearing no evidence of their lovemaking.

"Go and bring Lord Byakuya," the healer told him, "We need to to something about this."


	2. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya defies Aizen's wishes and seeks proof of Central 46 corruption to force the governing body to set aside his conviction.

XXXXXXXXXX

Standing still, I see my face in a mirror. But which am I? Reality or reflection?

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya's mind spun in gentle circles, and odd whispers sounded inside. He tried to focus on them, but couldn't make out the words. Neither of the voices seemed to be Sousuke Aizen's. His voice was deeper in tone and always seemed to reach down inside Tetsuya, to latch on to his heart and make it flutter. He was surprised that neither could be Byakuya's tranquil voice. He would have expected that his cousin wouldn't leave his side if he had taken ill. The whispers teased his weary mind, pulling him gently towards them, making him think that they must have come from farther back in time. But even though it had been years, he remembered Naoki's sweet voice, and knew it couldn't be his, nor the prison guards, nor his mother's. He had never heard his father's voice. It left Tetsuya wondering if perhaps it was a feverish echo from a former life somewhere else. It had a feeling of reality to it that refused to be written off as dream. And the two voices send a shiver of uncertainty and fear through him.

_It is like I know them, and not in a good way..._

He had little time to think about the matter, as consciousness was beginning to return to him. He stirred and groaned, opening his eyes and blinking to make the concerned face of his cousin come into focus.

"Tetsuya."

He blinked again and realized that he was no longer at home, but had been taken to the fourth division. Something in him warned him not to sit up too quickly, so he moved more slowly, and was immediately pushed back down.

"Don't try to get up. Your reiatsu dropped to a dangerously low level and you have only just been infused. You need to rest. I have already informed Councilor Yukimura of your illness. He said that you should take all of the time you need and get well. He can manage well enough until then."

"B-but, I have only just returned to full duty," Tetsuya said, brushing the hair away from his eyes, "I was absent for weeks while I recovered from my abduction, and I was forced to only work for short periods for weeks after that."

Byakuya sighed.

"It may be that your use of your divine powers drained you even more than we thought that it did. That, or Captain Unohana is investigating whether it might have damaged your spirit centers."

"M-my spirit centers?" Tetsuya mused, "But they were examined afterward and I was given a clean bill of health."

"They were examined," Byakuya agreed, "However, it was only to see that they were functional. They were, but they may not be contracting and dilating properly to manage your reiatsu. If so, then there are treatments. You will be fine. But you need to rest quietly and allow the healers to help you."

""Of course," Tetsuya said, nodding and falling back against the pillows, "I am sorry, Byakuya. I didn't mean to worry you. I will do whatever Captain Unohana thinks is best."

"Good," Byakuya said, squeezing his hand and meeting his gaze affectionately, "Then, I must leave you for a time. I need to confer with the council about some rumors of trouble in the spirit dimension."

"Trouble?" asked Tetsuya, "What kind of trouble?"

"I am not sure," said the clan leader, "As you know, when the old king died, he did not have a direct descendant, as his consort was killed before she could give birth to the heir."

"I remember reading about that in the clan histories...how they eventually found her body, but that there was no sign of what had happened to the baby. It was much like the living world story of Anastasia, except for the overthrow of power."

"Well," said Byakuya, "There have been several claims made since then, people claiming to be the lost heir, but none of those claims have ever proven true. And when the old king died, the crown passed to a lesser relative. He married and impregnated his male consort, but unfortunately, the consort miscarried and there are rumors that he is dying."

"That is terrible," Tetsuya said, concern filling his blue eyes, "I hope that it is not true."

"As do I. But in addition to rumors of that, others say that the consort's illness is due to a curse, because of the king not being the rightful heir, or that he might have been poisoned. A group of royal investigators asked for me to provide what information I can, as I am the keeper of our family's archive, and the old king's consort was from our clan."

"I see."

"I will try to conclude my business in time to visit you again before it becomes too late, but I may have to wait until morning to come to you again."

Tetsuya smiled.

"I will be fine, I assure you," he said looking up at his cousin, "I will follow Captain Unohana's instructions to the letter. I promise."

"Very well," said Byakuya, rising, "Then, I am off to council. I will see you later, Tetsuya."

"I will be here," the younger noble answered, smiling wryly.

He watched Byakuya leave, then looked out the window with a bored expression.

I've spent so much time in bed lately, I can barely stand it. I don't feel sick. I don't feel weak anymore. I want to get out of this place. I don't like hospitals. They remind me too much of the infirmary at the prison.

The door opened and a healer entered the room, but Tetsuya barely noticed. He approached the bed and greeted Tetsuya quietly, then began to check his vital signs. He placed a hand on the young noble's pale breast, then began to slide it downward.

"Wh-what?" Tetsuya said, blinking.

Then, he realized.

"Sousuke!" he hissed, his eyes widening, "You can't come in here! Captain Unohana will be coming in to see me as soon as my test results come in. She is frighteningly powerful."

"Yes," agreed his lover, leaning over to kiss him, "She was not quite so fooled as everyone else was when I faked my death. She sensed something not right with the body, though she couldn't place what it was."

"Well, I am sure that by now, she can scent you a mile away. You have to leave!"

"I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I was worried, watashi no koi."

Tetsuya smiled nervously.

"I am fine. But I won't be if you get yourself caught! You take such chances, Sousuke!"

"Mmmm," sighed Aizen, thrusting his tongue into the younger man's mouth, "You are worth it."

"Don't say that!" Tetsuya exclaimed, pushing him away, "I would die if you were caught because of me!"

"Well then," said Aizen, smiling warmly, "We would die together, ne?"

"Sousuke, that's horrible!" Tetsuya snapped, trying unsuccessfully to evade another penetrating kiss, "Get out of here!"

"You really want me to go that badly?" Aizen teased him, "Very well, I will go. But I will be back tonight. I just have a few things to take care of first."

"You can't spend the night with me. Aside from the fact I'd get no actual rest, I'd be worried every second about Captain Unohana coming in unexpectedly."

"Oh, I will wait until she has gone home. I won't be caught."

"You had better hope not," Tetsuya said, frowning, "You are awfully reckless, Sousuke. You need to remember what they would do to you...and to me, if you were caught."

Aizen touched his face lightly and sighed affectionately.

"I won't let anything happen to either one of us," he promised, "But neither will I go to sleep tonight without you in my arms. Aishiteru yo, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya blushed sweetly.

"Aishiteru yo," he whispered, yielding to a final, passionate kiss.

He watched as Aizen left, then dropped his face into his hands.

"I can't believe he did that. Sousuke..."

The door opened again and he smiled and shook his head.

"Did you forget something?" he asked.

Then, he found himself looking at Captain Unohana.

"Oh...my apologies," he said, his blush deepening, "I thought that you were...B-byakuya."

The healer looked around.

"I thought he would be here to hear the results of your tests. He was very concerned."

"I know," said Tetsuya, "He was, but some clan issues required him to return to the manor. I will inform him as to my test results later."

Captain Unohana sat down in a chair next to the bed and looked down at his chart.

"Are you sure that you do not wish to wait for your cousin to return?" she asked softly.

Tetsuya's heart skipped a beat.

"Why? Is there something that bad that is wrong with me?" he asked quickly.

"Actually, you are not ill," the healer explained, "though I can see why the clan healers were confused. Your condition is very rare."

"M-my condition?" said Tetsuya, looking confused, "But, I thought that you said that I was not ill!"

"You aren't ill," the healer said, "You are with child."

Tetsuya's eyes went wide and his mouth opened, but he found himself at a loss for words. He was, at once, overjoyed at carrying what he knew must be Sousuke Aizen's baby, but at the same time, he was terrified at what it would mean if it became known.

"I can see that this is very unexpected news for you," the healer said quietly, "I assume that, based on your medical history and information I was given about your recent abduction, that this child could be the child of Sousuke Aizen?"

"I..." said Tetsuya, recalling Byakuya's warning to him never to admit to having a consensual relationship with Aizen, "I don't know who the father could be."

The healer gave him a curious look.

"You have, been intimate with more than one person?" she asked.

Tetsuya took a steadying breath.

"I...don't...remember. Some things about my abduction are unclear."

"But it is documented that you were abducted by Sousuke Aizen, and that he forced you to assist him in destroying the hougyoku. Are you saying that you encountered others...Arrancars or shinigamis who could have fathered your child?"

"Y-yes, I mean no. I don't know," Tetsuya said, growing flustered, "I just do not remember all of what happened to me."

"Which means that the encounter that created this child may well have been non-consensual?"

"I told you. I don't know."

"Tetsuya Kuchiki, do you want to have this child?"

Tetsuya swallowed hard.

"Yes."

Captain Unohana paused for a moment, considering her words.

"I want you to listen carefully," the healer said, meeting his eyes meaningfully, "Should you decide to proceed with this pregnancy, there are some things that you should be aware of. First, as your physician, I am not allowed to discuss your case with anyone unless you give your consent. That means that, although Central 46 rules prohibit any shinigami from bearing the known offspring of a known perpetrator of a capitol offense, it is not my place to report that finding to Central 46 unless they suspect the father is an offender and obtain an order to force open testing."

"Will the pregnancy be noticeable to others?" asked Tetsuya, "Will I 'show' like a woman would?"

"You will probably thicken noticeably around the middle, but as male pregnancies are extremely rare, most will probably write it off as weight gain. You won't get as large as a woman does, because the mechanism of male pregnancy is very different."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you will not have a physical child growing inside you."

"What?" asked the noble, frowning, "But how...?"

"The child will remain in reiatsu form as it develops. And when it has matured sufficiently to be born, the abdominal wall will begin to lose cohesion over the reiatsu cluster. An opening will form, allowing the reiatsu to pass through and emerge. Then, the cluster will solidify and become the body of the child."

"And once the child is born, he or she will be safe from action by Central 46, ne?"

"Yes, once born, the child will be treated as any other citizen. However, that assumes that Central 46 does not have reason to pursue open testing."

"And how would they know to do that?" asked Tetsuya.

Captain Unohana shook her head gently.

"If it becomes known that you are pregnant, it is documented that you were abducted by Sousuke Aizen in a timeframe in which he could have fathered the child. Another possibility is that an Arrancar could have fathered the child, and as you know, shinigamis are barred from birthing children fathered by hollows."

Tetsuya gazed down at where his hands clenched the bedding and he cleared his throat softly.

"Please tell me honestly. What chance is there that I will get through this pregnancy without it being discovered?"

"Honestly?" said the healer, "There is little chance of that. You live among nobles, and your cousin is extremely powerful and sensitive to your reiatsu. I think it will not be long before he senses it. And there are other very powerful shinigamis, both in your clan and in Central 46, where you work, that will sense the pregnancy at some point. You may be able to hide it for another few months, but I think it will be discovered well short of your due date."

Tetsuya's hands clenched the bedding more tightly and his bit at his lips nervously.

"Captain, you say that the child would be ordered terminated because of Sousuke Aizen's status as a capitol offender?"

"Yes."

"And...what if there was reason to believe that his offenses were...the direct result of illegal activities that were sanctioned and carried out by Central 46's own councilors?"

Captain Unohana's eyes widened and she caught her breath softly.

"If one was able to prove something like that, then Sousuke Aizen would then be labeled a Class 2 offender, one whose offenses may have extenuating circumstances, and so are not punishable as capitol offenses. But you must realize that if Central 46 councilors were involved in covering this up, then you will be in very real danger if the wrong people discover you are digging for information."

"Actually," said Tetsuya, "The ones involved do not remember what they did or what happened because of it."

"What?"

"You cannot repeat to anyone what I tell you, ne?"

"No, I cannot." answered the healer.

"For reasons that I will not go into now, Sousuke Aizen, himself, covered up what happened. The information exists and can be exposed."

"But as soon as it is," said Unohana, giving him a worried look, "As soon as the accusation is made, you know that you will be in great peril."

"My child is already in great peril," Tetsuya said quietly, "I will not rest until I make the way safe for this child."

The healer sighed.

"Then, it seems you are determined to proceed."

"I don't have a choice," said Tetsuya, "I won't sit here and let my child be sentenced to die!"

"Very well," said Unohana, "As I said, I am barred from sharing any medical or related information without a direct Central 46 investigation order. You perhaps have one to two months before the reiatsu will gain sentience. At that point, the father and other very strong shinigamis will be able to sense it. Whatever you plan to do must be completed in that time frame."

"And what will you tell my cousin?" asked Tetsuya.

"I have prescribed a nutrient booster. It is one I prescribe to women who are pregnant, but it is also used to stabilize chemical imbalances in some men. I will tell Captain Kuchiki the truth, that you lost consciousness due to a chemical imbalance that I have treated. As long as you take the boosters as prescribed, your symptoms should be relatively minor...nausea, perhaps some vomiting, weight gain, fluid retention, emotional intensity and minor power flares and fall offs."

Tetsuya nodded.

"Thank you, Captain Unohana," he said softly, "So...am I free to go?"

"Yes," said the healer, "I gave the first booster in an injection, so you may just pick up the pills and you will be discharged with no restrictions. You may return to full duty in your council and your internship at Central 46. But, I advise you to be extremely cautious...and one more thing."

"What?"

"I want you to sign a statement that allows me to speak of what you told me, if anything should happen to you as you investigate this."

"Why do you...?"

"You would want your cousin to know what you were doing if someone acted against you and you were incapacitated or otherwise harmed."

"Ah," said the young man, a shiver passing through him at the thought, "You are right, of course."

The healer took out a sheet of paper and wrote a notation on it, then handed it to Tetsuya to sign.

"Well then, I think you will be wanting to be on your way," she said, her eyes worried, "Do be very cautious in what you do, Tetsuya Kuchiki. I would not want harm to come to you."

Tetsuya nodded and took his discharge papers from her hand, then collected the prescription and scheduled his prenatal appointments before leaving the healing center. He whistled for Arashi and rode quickly to Central 46, eager to avoid contact with his cousin or the father of his child.

_I know that Sousuke would be thrilled, but...he was so adamant about not trifling with the past, and despite his love for me, he is not above taking decisions out of my hands if he disagrees with me. No, it is better to keep this quiet until I am ready to go before Central 46. It is better for everyone involved._

He reached the Central 46 compound and passed through security, relaxing more once he was inside and not as likely to be waylaid by his secret lover or protective cousin. He made his way to Councilor Yukimura's office.

"Tetsuya?" the councilor said, looking surprised, "I thought that you were still in the healing center having tests run."

"Ah, they found a chemical imbalance and treated it. I am fine and cleared to report for duty."

He handed the release form to the councilor, who looked it over and nodded.

"Very well, I can certainly use the help. I have mountains of research. I know it is boring, but it simply must be done, and you are very good at finding what others tend to overlook. I would appreciate it if you would spend the rest of the day in the archives, looking up and documenting these references. I need them for council tomorrow."

"Of course."

He took the stack of references and the passkey for the archive and headed down to the archive, in the basement just above the prison levels. He was relieved to find the archive empty except for him.

"Well," he sighed, "I'd best get this out of the way first."

He completed his research in record time, then set aside the gathered materials and looked over at the restricted section. He walked to the entry and stood just outside. Lowering his head and closing his eyes, he invoked the power Aizen had taught him to use for such bits of mischief.

_You may use Kyouka Suigetsu to conceal yourself or to use minor illusions at will. Simply invoke his name and he will manifest. You may find that such a skill will prove useful, if not necessary at times, now that we are together._

"Kyouka Suigetsu," he said softly, waiting as the zanpakutou spirit manifested.

To his surprise, Re-kuhime appeared alongside him. He didn't miss the slight blush on their cheeks.

"What are your wishes?" the male spirit asked softly.

"I need to access this part of the archive, but don't wish to bother returning to the office for a pass. Would you mind?"

"Not at all," the spirit said, nodding.

"Arigato," Tetsuya said, smiling as the two disappeared and his way was opened.

He stepped inside and worked quickly, first searching for proof of Yasu's presence on the Central 46 council, a record of their decisions and other related documents.

_I shall have to search for where records of Sousuke's assessment and actions taken might be hidden. Some would be here, but some might be hidden amongst certain councilors' belongings._

He looked down at the picture documenting the councilors at the time of Yasu's involvement, then a later grouping from the time of Aizen's betrayal. Several councilors appeared in both photos and had been killed by Aizen.

_And some of their belongings might be here..._

He continued to search for several more hours, until it was nearly time for Councilor Yukimura to leave for the evening and for the archive to shut down for the night. He concealed the purloined information on a cart he used to carry back the references he had gathered, but stopped at his own small office and moved them to a hidden and locked file cabinet before taking the cart to his superior's office.

"Ah, looks like you have done well," the councilor commented, "It would have taken most folks at least twice the time. You are a wonder, Tetsuya."

"Arigato."

"Go on home," said the councilor, "Get some rest. There is a luncheon tomorrow at the Iitoku manor. I would like you to accompany me."

Tetsuya's eyes widened and his mind fired back into the past.

_"Tetsuya, all things in existence are only as strong as their weakest point. I forgot that simple rule of our worlds one time...and I paid dearly."_

_Tetsuya met his eyes guardedly._

_"Are you talking about Yasu Iitoku?" asked the noble._

_Aizen's eyes widened and he grabbed Tetsuya by the shoulders and glared down into his eyes. Tetsuya froze, staring back at him and wincing as the older man's fingers dug into his upper arms and his reiatsu swelled until Tetsuya could barely draw a breath._

_"Where did you hear that name?" he demanded furiously, "Tell me!"_

_Tetsuya leaned forward, placing a hand on his chest as he struggled to breathe. Aizen finally seemed to register his distress and calmed his reiatsu, then watched with darkened eyes as Tetsuya pulled away from him and panted heavily to catch his breath._

_"How do you know about him?" asked Aizen, "Who told you?"_

_Tetsuya swallowed hard and looked up at him._

_"Y-you said that name in your sleep," he whispered in a shaky voice, backing away on hands an knees and taking refuge in the corner of the cave, "I do not know who he is."_

_Aizen moved closer to the cornered shinigami and knelt in front of him, taking hold of his chin and staring down into his eyes again._

_"No one remembers him," he said softly, "And no one will. I erased his existence...a long time ago."_

_Tetsuya stared into the deadly brown eyes breathlessly._

_"You are never to say that name again," Aizen warned him._

"Of course," Tetsuya answered, "I will be there."

_After all, there may be something there..._

"Very good. Good night, Tetsuya."

"Good night, Councilor."

Tetsuya left the building and started walking in the direction of Kuchiki Manor, not bothering to whistle for Arashi, but lost in thought. He had nearly reached the manor when an arm wrapped around his waist and tugged him off of the path and into the bushes.

"Wh-what?" he gasped, "S-sousuke, you nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing?"

"I was wondering why you were here instead of resting."

"I had a chemical imbalance," the younger man said, smiling, "I am fine now, Sousuke. But I do need to get home and go to bed. I have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Oh no," said Aizen, "I have already sent an illusion on home. You are coming with me."

He lifted the struggling noble into his arms and flash stepped away.

"Sousuke! Sousuke...you are impossible!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"You told me to inform you when he began to dig for information?" asked a low voice.

The brown haired man beside the pool of blue water, looked down at the image of Tetsuya and Sousuke Aizen displayed on the mirrored surface.

"Yes," he answered, "And?"

"He has begun to search for information on Yasu Iitoku."

The man looking down into the pool smiled.

"Good. It is nearly time."

"How do you know?" asked the hooded man beside him.

"He would only seek that information if there was reason to try to clear Aizen's name. And only one thing would provoke that. Stay close to him. And when I give the order, make sure you complete it without Aizen present. I don't want him to learn of this...not until it is too late."

"Yes, my lord."


	3. Hidden in Plain Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya is discovered while searching the Iitoku clan leader's home.

XXXXXXXXXX

The world is filled with your enemies, and you watch them always, and keep up your guard. But you do not know how close they have come...how the enemy you fear is already beside you.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya woke to a sight he knew that few had ever actually witnessed. And every time he saw it, it reminded him of just what a beautiful and dangerous turn his life had taken.

Sousuke Aizen...sleeping.

His brown hair was slightly tousled and the slender wisp that usually fell down between his narrowed eyes, drifted into a soft curve on his forehead. His expression was tranquil and unencumbered. Even while resting, his lips smirked, though more gently. And although his arms were relaxed and limp, the hands that held Tetsuya maintained a calm possessiveness. And for one who had spent the early part of his life being cast aside and unwanted, Tetsuya embraced being loved in that passionate and sweetly aggressive fashion.

_I wonder how he will react when I tell him that he is going to be a father. Even as much in love as we are, he can be unpredictable. But all I can think is that he will be in love with his child from the moment he learns of his or her existence. As protective as he is of me, he'll be even more so of our child. And because I will have exposed the factors that led to his creation of the hougyoku and his corruption, we will be able to stop living our lives in the shadows like this and come out into the light of day._

_Sousuke, we deserve to have that freedom._

He made his breathing soft and silent, watching his lover sleep as the darkness around them gave way to morning and the first light of the new day glowed on their skin. Some time later, Aizen took a deeper breath, stirred, and opened his eyes to find his former captive gazing at him through wide, still sleepy blue eyes.

"Did you sleep at all?" Aizen asked, "Or were you so mesmerized watching me that you neglected your own rest entirely?"

"Could you blame me if I did lose sleep?" Tetsuya asked, smiling, "I know, for a fact, that Sousuke Aizen was not in the habit of sleeping in the presence of anyone else, save his zanpakutou from the time when he lost his first love to the day he captured me."

"Sleeping in another person's arms is a sign of trust that I have only shared with Yasu and with you."

"But you slept with me when I was your captive," countered the younger man.

"Yes," Aizen agreed, "but I was immortal at the time and so did not need to rely on trust at all."

"Oh...right," Tetsuya said, nodding, "But you are mortal now. And still you let your guard down so completely with me. I am honored."

Aizen smiled.

"You are beautiful. And if it is my fate to have your lovely face be the last thing I see, then so be it."

Tetsuya's eyes widened and he heart quickened at the words.

"Sousuke, you shouldn't say such things. It..."

He was left unable to speak as the brown-eyed man trapped Tetsuya's slender body beneath his and overwhelmed him with a hail of steamy kisses. Those lovingly possessive hands captured him and explored him everywhere, leaving him blushing and entranced by Aizen's adoring eyes.

_I am helpless in this man's arms. My heart is such a slave to loving him that he could strike me down and I would kiss the hand that deprived my body of its breath. Sousuke, to know such a love is a gift I never imagined. Do you know how deep my love for you runs?_

"Even when you do not speak, Tetsuya," whispered Aizen, "Your eyes tell me everything. There are no secrets in these lovely hands you touch me with. And your lips honor me without uttering a sound."

And it was words like these, and the loving touches that accompanied them that made the younger man melt inside, that caused his full surrender and made his body, mind and heart yield everything to loving that one person who appreciated all he was and who thoroughly treasured him.

_And that being true, it is wrong to hold back from him. Besides, I want to see the moment he learns it, to watch the sweet, raw emotion as it rises in his eyes, in his smile, in the way he holds me. Such things are so precious._

"There is something that I need to tell you," Tetsuya said, his heart fluttering nervously inside him as he looked up into his lover's warm, brown eyes and gathered himself, "I hope that you will be happy when you hear it, Sousuke."

"What?" asked Aizen, curiously, "You have finally decided to abandon everything and everyone else and run away with me? Perfect. We'll leave now."

"Very funny," Tetsuya said, arching a fine eyebrow, "You know that I would have left with you already if..."

"If I didn't know and respect how much your family means to you, Tetsuya."

"My family does mean everything to me," agreed the younger shingami, "I am very devoted to Byakuya, who helped me to build a deeper connection with them. Those ties are very important, but the ties between you and me are deeper still."

Aizen's smile widened and the look of curiosity grew.

"What are you telling me, Tetsuya?" he asked softly.

"I am telling you that my love for you has become such that it can no longer be contained within me. It takes on a new life of its own and will soon bless us in a way I think we never imagined that it would."

"Tetsuya..." Aizen said, a lovely look of suspicion rising in his dark eyes, "Are you telling me that..."

"I am with child," Tetsuya whispered, "My reiatsu was being affected because I am going to have a baby."

Wonder erupted through Tetsuya's heart at seeing the profound happiness that flooded his lover's eyes. And along with the pleasure came something even more rare and, Tetsuya found, precious.

_Few have ever seen any sign of vulnerability in this man. Always, he cloaks himself protectively in power and arrogance._

But he could sense the flutter in the other man's heart and in the lips that kissed his...the hand that slid down to rest over their unborn child, trembled ever so slightly.

_Because, even amidst our joy, we know that things will grow more dangerous now. But we will face that danger together._

And even as the joy continued to light Aizen's face, it was tempered with concern and protectiveness.

"Are you going to tell Byakuya?" he asked, tracing the younger man's lips.

Tetsuya thought for a moment and sighed, shaking his head gently.

"I want to, of course. However, as deep as the connection is between us, I cannot burden him with this. He is our clan leader, and it is his job to set an example of adherence to the laws of a peaceful society. As you are still a wanted criminal, it would place Byakuya in a difficult position."

"Of course," agreed Aizen, "So...you plan to leave the Kuchiki family behind?"

"It seems to be the only option. I have a month, maybe two, before this pregnancy will be sensed by the stronger shinigamis around me. And once it is, I will have no choice but to leave them."

Aizen went quiet, his eyes studying Tetsuya's face, and his hand caressing his lover's abdomen.

"Then...because our love is going to force you to become separated from your family, I will do what I can to put off your leaving for as long as possible."

"What do you mean?" Tetsuya asked.

Aizen smiled and curled a hand around his cheek.

"Kyouka Suigetsu will hide your pregnancy so that you will have additional time to say your goodbyes to them. And Tetsuya, I promise you, I will do all I can to offer you a life that is worthy of the sacrifice you make for us."

Tetsuya let out a soft breath and his eyes softened.

"You are already doing that...Sousuke."

He started to kiss Aizen again, but caught sight of the time, out of the corner of an eye.

"Shades!" Tetsuya exclaimed, sitting up and scrambling to his feet, "I have to get back. I am accompanying Counselor Yukimura on an important visit today."

Aizen's hand captured his and tried to pull him back down onto the bed.

"Oh, forget that nonsense!" he said, blinking slowly, "I want to spend some more time naked with you. If we have a child coming, then you realize that we will not have nearly so much time for lovemaking. We should compensate for that ahead of time, ne?"

Tetsuya couldn't quite stifle a soft laugh as he struggled to get his clothes on, while his amorous lover worked at distracting him.

"Gods," gasped Tetsuya, wriggling out of his arms, "I am surprised you can still fluster me like this. I think I have a permanent blush."

"And it looks lovely on you," Aizen said, capturing him again and trying to pull his hakama down.

"S-stop that! Please, Sousuke. I need to be at that meeting this morning. Despite the fact I'll be leaving, I do have a job, for now. And it is one I..."

He paused as Aizen succeeded in baring him and dragging him down onto the bed again. His strong hands held the younger man down, and his mouth claimed Tetsuya's so passionately that he couldn't help but return Aizen's kisses. In moments, he was overcome, and his lover was entrenched inside of him again.

_The man is impossible._

_And even more impossible to resist._

He turned in his lover's arms, groaning feverishly as Aizen's length slid out of him. Then he clenched the bedding and raised his white bottom, moaning scandalously as Aizen's hands grabbed his hips, and the man's thick arousal plunged into his body again.

"Oh gods!" Tetsuya gasped, "Sousuke!"

He lowered his head, his body sweating and shaking harder with each heavy thrust. Aizen's hand wrapped around the younger man's hardness, bringing Tetsuya to the edges of sweet oblivion as the combination of blinding thrust and wicked caress, the feel of hot breath on the back of his bare shoulders and neck and Aizen's voice in his ear all combined to overcome him. But he only came completely undone as the meaning of his lover's words suddenly struck at his heart.

"I love you. I crave you. And I want every moment with you and our baby. Tetsuya. Tetsuya Kuchiki, I want you to marry me!"

Pleasure exploded all through his body, tearing a scream of completion from deep in his throat, halting all words and engulfing him in mind bending pulses of sweltering heat. He barely registered the arm that wrapped around him, dragging him back onto his knees and laying him back against Aizen's strong chest as his own release erupted in fitful spurts onto Aizen's stroking hand and Tetsuya's blushing flesh. Aizen's hands forced his lovely body down and trapped it, as the brown-eyed shinigami gripped him tightly and devoured the younger man's release where it had spilled out onto his skin. Tetsuya watched raptly, enjoying his lover's peaceful and deeply sated expression. Aizen finished his loving assault on Tetsuya's trapped body and returned to his mouth for a flurry of finishing kisses, that left the younger man breathless all over again.

"So...do you have an answer for me, Tetsuya?" Aizen asked, smiling, "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Tetsuya answered in a trembling voice, "I will. I will marry you. I love you. I crave you. And I want every moment with you and our baby, Sousuke!"

"Then you shall have it," Aizen said, gazing down into the younger man's eyes, "We will marry when the time comes for you to take leave of your family. I know it will be a difficult time for you..."

"But it will be tempered with my happiness at finally being made yours."

"What are you talking about?" Aizen said smugly, "Tetsuya Kuchiki, I held your fate in my hands from the moment I made you my prisoner."

Tetsuya laughed softly, thinking back.

"I had no idea how happy that twist of fate would make me."

"How happy it would make us," Aizen corrected him.

"Very well," said Tetsuya, smiling up at him, "You have my heart, my soul, my undying love...and this baby. Will you please allow me to get up now, and go to work? I promise you may abduct me at will, once this day is over. But I do have important things to do today."

"How can I argue with that sentiment?" purred Aizen, releasing him and allowing him to begin dressing, "Your heart, soul, undying love...our child...and the promise of another taste of your sweet flesh. Go then, Tetsuya. I will count the minutes until it is time to waylay you again."

"I look forward to that," laughed the noble, dressing quickly, then returning to his lover for a final kiss before leaving.

"You could stay a bit longer," Aizen suggested, climbing onto his knees on the bed and tempting Tetsuya with his deliciously bared body, "I would make it worth your while. I promise."

"Do you ever stop?" Tetsuya asked in a flustered tone, his mouth going dry again as Aizen ran his fingers through his hair and teased the curl on his forehead, "I really do have to go."

"I know that," Aizen said, smirking, "I was just teasing. Go on. You don't want to keep that stuffy counselor waiting. He might die of an overdose of his own boring rhetoric."

"Counselor Yukimura is a good and decent man."

"How did he manage to get an appointment to Central 46 then?" said Aizen, "I thought that a degree in backstabbing was a prerequisite."

"They're not all bad," Tetsuya said, frowning, "And remember, I am an intern there. You had better watch who you insult."

"I am taking you away from that lot as soon as possible," Aizen sighed, "They don't deserve someone like you."

"You do," Tetsuya said, turning back and kissing him again, "And that is why, when it is time, I will walk away from them, and be yours alone."

He opened a senkaimon and stepped inside, watching as the doors closed between them. He stood for a moment, in the darkness of the precipice world, considering his path.

_I know that you would say that it is risking too much to try to clear your name. But it is the right thing to do...and it will be my wedding gift to you, my Sousuke._

He hurried along the dark passage, turning down a long corridor and emerging at the meeting point, just as Counselor Yukimura appeared.

"Ah, Tetsuya," the counselor said, nodding, "Good you are here. And since we have a moment, I just want to fill you in on something. We really do want to foster the best possible relationship with the leader of the Iitoku clan. Things have been strained since he ascended. It seems that he views Central 46 with a certain amount of mistrust."

"Does he say why?" asked Tetsuya.

"Yes," said the counselor, "but his reason is odd, "You see, Yuji Iitoku is convinced that Central 46 murdered his brother, a man he calls Yasu."

Tetsuya caught his breath softly in surprise.

"And strangely, there is no record of any such man ever existing!"

"That is very strange."

The counselor brightened.

"But don't worry that his oddity makes him remote. He is, otherwise a very sensible man...quite powerful. And with your help, I would like to improve relations between us."

"How do you think I can help?" asked Tetsuya.

"By being yourself," the counselor said, smiling, "I think knowing that the council is recruiting men of your quality will encourage Yuji to look at the rest of us through different eyes."

"I will certainly do my best," Tetsuya promised, as they approached the Iitoku manor.

They were greeted at the door by a solemn butler, who led them into the large banquet hall, where the rest of the guests were gathered. Tetsuya quietly called upon Kyouka Suigetsu's power to leave an image of him with Councilor Yukimura, and he slipped out of the banquet hall. He reached out with his reiatsu, using a trace of Yasu's reiatsu he had found on an old letter in the Central 46 archives as a guide. He sensed more of the man's reiatsu coming from up the large stairway, so he walked cautiously up the steps and paused to hone in on the direction.

His senses picked up stronger traces of Yasu's reiatsu coming from a door near the end of the hall. He had his hand on the doorknob and was turning it, when another door opened and Tetsuya found himself face to face with a man who looked much like Aizen's former lover. His heart began to race and his eyes went wide as the man focused on him and cleared his throat gently.

"Who are you?" the man asked quietly, "And how is it that you can see my brother's door?"


	4. Alone in Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya speaks with Yuji Iitoku, Yasu's brother, then finds trouble when he explores his cousin, Orochi's manor.

XXXXXXXXXX

The place you stood is empty now, the heart that loved me lost. All that is left are bits and pieces, but those too, have become scattered. 

XXXXXXXXXX

"Who are you?" the man in front of Tetsuya asked, "And how is it that you can see my brother's door?"

Tetsuya's eyes widened.

"I meant no harm, nor insult," Tetsuya assured the man, "I am Tetsuya Kuchiki."

"Tetsuya Kuchiki," The man repeated, thinking briefly, "You are the Central 46 intern who was abducted from the prisons when Sousuke Aizen escaped. It is very odd that one of your purported quality would stoop to trespassing. But let us say, for the moment, that what you have told me is true. You still have not answered my question. How is it that you can see my brother's bedroom door? No one can see it but me. It has been that way ever since the day I felt my brother's spirit pass from life."

Tetsuya thought quickly.

"As you know, I was in the company of a man whose power was that of illusion," he explained carefully, "Because of that, I now possess added ability to see through illusions. And your home is filled with them."

"And of what concern is that to you, Tetsuya Kuchiki? What interest do you have in my brother?"

Tetsuya bit his lip gently.

"While I was Sousuke Aizen's prisoner, I learned of...wrongdoing within Central 46...wrongdoing that violates my sense of justice. I uncovered evidence that Yasu Iitoku, not only existed, but that he learned of a horrid injustice of some kind within the council of the time...and as he sought a way to expose what was happening, someone discovered what he was doing, and acted to silence him."

The other man caught his breath softly, and he looked more closely at Tetsuya.

"Come," he said quietly, "We can talk more openly in my brother's room. No one even knows it is here."

Tetsuya nodded and followed the man into the bedroom, where he sat down on the neatly made bed and Tetsuya took a seat in a nearby chair. It struck him, at once, that the room looked neat and free of dust, as though Yasu had just stepped out of the room a moment before. Tetsuya waited calmly as Yuji gathered himself.

"I am Yuji Iitoku," the man said quietly, "I was the first of two sons born to a former clan leader. As the elder son by a few minutes, I was made heir. Yasu and I were raised by a clan regent after our parents died in an accident. My uncle was to lead the clan until I became old enough. But something happened that kept me from claiming my place at the head of the clan until now."

He paused and picked up a picture of the two brothers, standing close together, each with an arm around the other.

"Yasu and I clung to each other as children. Our uncle was not unkind, but we were devastated at losing our parents. And, of course, there was the added pressure of my advancement. But we steadied each other, and Yasu went on to become a clan elder, while I struggled with depression at my parents deaths and recovered more slowly. He could have had me set aside as heir, but my brother had faith in me when no one else would. And...eventually, my heart mended and I prepared to take on my place in the clan. But...something odd...and horrible happened. I do not know exactly what it was."

He turned his head to look out the window.

"Yasu excelled at statescraft, and it wasn't long before he found himself one of the youngest councilors ever to be a part of Central 46. He distinguished himself immediately as a man who was intelligent, honest and gifted at managing conflict. But...one day, he left for work...and after that, he never came home. We searched, of course. And Central 46 said that he was missing, and might have been abducted by a criminal with whom he had been interacting. They never provided a name. Several months passed with no word of his condition or location...then something even stranger happened."

He paused and thought carefully before going on.

"I could sense, up to that point, that my brother was alive, although I could not trace his location. But that day, all trace of his reiatsu disappeared. I felt my brother's death, and it felt like my world had come apart."

The man's gentle green eyes became intense.

"But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. I called a council meeting and announced what I had sensed. Tetsuya, they looked at me...my own family...like I was crazy, and they said that I never had a brother. I panicked and kept insisting they were wrong. But all that happened was that they thought I had lost my mind. I was sent into a recovery center and treated as though there was something wrong with me. And I was tempted to wonder if perhaps they were right. Because where I saw pictures of the two of us, things that belonged to him, proof of my brother's existence, no one else saw anything! It was as though all trace of him had disappeared from their awareness, and all that was left, was what existed in only my memory.

Over the years, I learned to keep what I thought to myself. I was eventually claimed 'cured' and restored to preparation for leadership. I was content to wait years longer, my heart being so torn from what had happened that I could not take my place. Only recently, my uncle passed on and I was judged fit to succeed him. They treat my earlier claims as an idiosyncrasy, and I do not talk about Yasu anymore. I visit his room to feel close to his lost spirit, but I know in my heart that he is gone."

"But," said Tetsuya, "Even though you do not speak of Yasu, he holds a special place in your heart. And I wager that, given the opportunity, you would want him to be restored to his place in everyone's memory."

"Yes, of course," said Yuji, "But there has never been a clue that could explain what happened."

Tetsuya met his eyes meaningfully.

"I may be able to help you with that."

Yuji's eyes widened.

"You...?"

"I am...investigating the claims of a man who has made himself known to me...one who contends that he knew of Yasu Iitoku, and that he knows what happened. I am gathering evidence to test the validity of his claim, as he is seeking the commuting of his criminal conviction and sentencing."

"Can you tell me what happened to him?" asked Yuji, "I have suffered for years, not knowing."

Tetsuya met the man's eyes again, sympathetically.

"My investigation is still in its early stages. But...if I am allowed access to Yasu's home and belongings, there may be clues to follow to the full truth."

Yuji sighed softly and glanced at the picture of his brother and him again.

"I do not know what you might find that would be helpful, but you are free to look. Only mind that you show respect for my brother as you investigate."

Tetsuya nodded.

"You have my word. I will," he promised.

"Very well," Yuji said, taking Tetsuya's hand.

Tetsuya looked up at him questioningly as Yuji drew a kido symbol on the back of his hand.

"What is this?" he asked as the physical mark disappeared, but the touch of reiatsu around it remained.

"An old game we used to play," said Yuji, smiling nostalgically, "We placed markings on our hands that let us pass a barrier into an old fort we built together near here. If you focus on the marking and will it, you will be transported into this room. That should be handy as you investigate."

He paused for a moment, studying Tetsuya silently.

"It could also be a way to protect yourself as you proceed," he said quietly, "Someone went to a lot of trouble to erase Yasu from existence. And that person, as well as others, might not want the truth to be told. Be careful, Tetsuya. Now that there is someone else who knows about Yasu, I do not want to see you come to harm."

"I will be cautious," Tetsuya promised, "And I will not bring anything out into the open until I have learned everything that happened, and I can prove it!"

"I will help in what ways I can," said the clan leader, "though there seems to be little I know to do. Feel free to seek me out if you have questions. I am here every night at sunset to sit and reflect on my memories of Yasu."

Tetsuya smiled at him kindly.

"I am sure that, at some point, your assistance will be critical. Even right now, it would help for me to know who your brother might have been close to...or who might have been an adversary at the time of his disappearance."

"Hmmm," Yuji said, thinking, "Most of the councilors of that time are dead. They were killed when Sousuke Aizen infiltrated Central 46. But there are a few who had either retired or left after. Yasu was not particularly close to any of the ones left living, but I do remember him complaining about a couple of them...one your own relative...Orochi Kuchiki and the other a powerful member of the Furukawa clan...Hisoka. Both of them still live. You could investigate them."

"Yes," said Tetsuya, feeling a quiver inside at the mention of his elder distant cousin, "Thank you. That is helpful. I will see to that right away."

"But, as I said, be careful," Yuji warned him, "I am sure that you know your own cousin's nature..."

"Too well," Tetsuya admitted darkly.

"Hisoka is even more dastardly. Yasu expressed frustration at trying to reason with him. He had very unjust views and many prejudices."

"As does my cousin," Tetsuya sighed, "But I take your meaning. I will be very careful."

"Good," said Yuji, nodding in approval, "But we must go now. My other guests are waiting."

"Before we go," Tetsuya said, stopping him, "I will ask that you not mention my investigation to anyone until it has concluded. As you said, if the wrong people hear of it, I could be endangered."

"No one will hear anything from me," Yuji said solemnly, "I have been silent about Yasu for so many years, it is nearly second nature. Thank you, Tetsuya, for pursuing this. You have a nature much like his...gentle, just, tolerant. We need more of that. I think that your presence on the Central 46 council will be a good thing when you move forward."

"Arigato," Tetsuya said, bowing briefly, "You will hear from me as soon as I know anything useful."

"That is a comfort."

The two exited the room and walked back to the banquet hall. Tetsuya focused on his illusory self and sent it out of the room just before his arrival with the clan leader. Then, the two entered the room together.

"Ah," said Councilor Yukimura, stepping forward, "I see you have met our young intern, Tetsuya Kuchiki."

"Yes," said Yuji, smiling and accepting the councilor's hand, "We ran into each other and were exchanging stories. He is quite perceptive and wise. However did you lure him into that group of thieves and cutthroats on council?"

"Well," said Nori, "I have my ways. I know that Tetsuya sits strongly in the corner of justice. He will be an asset to the council when he wins his appointment."

"To be certain," said Yuji, "And you may, of course count on my clan's support when you need it."

Tetsuya returned to his elder councilor's side and circulated the room, his mind mulling over the details as he went. He tried to set it aside to better attend to the banquet and discussions, but kept coming back to the things that Yuji had confessed to him.

_There are answers somewhere. And I will find them. I think I had best first attempt to get what I can from Orochi's home...though I won't approach him face to face. The man despises me for my peasant blood and would likely not offer any help anyway. As much as I don't enjoy sneaking about, it seems it is the only way to get the answers I need._

He was inwardly relieved when the banquet ended and he returned along the quiet streets to Kuchiki Manor. He met with Byakuya briefly to discuss the banquet, then the two met with the Kuchiki council. Tetsuya sat quietly near Byakuya, stealing glances at Orochi.

_I wonder if he knows anything, Tetsuya mused, He was on the Central 46 council for a time, back when Yasu was also a councilor, it seems. But I am not sure what led to his leaving. I never knew much about the man but that he loved looking down on me and hurling insults._

And even before that, he was there at the prison sometimes...

A shiver went through him as he heard Orochi's voice in his mind, snarling epithets at the prisoners, showing his cruelty...

"Is everything all right?" Byakuya asked softly, "You seem distracted."

"I am fine," Tetsuya assured him, "It has just been a long day."

"Your reiatsu seems to be remaining more stable," observed the clan leader, "Whatever Captain Unohana prescribed must be working."

"Yes," replied Tetsuya, "Thankfully, it is. I feel much better."

The two left the Kuchiki council hall together at the end of the meeting and returned to the manor, where they freed themselves from their more formal attire and donned comfortable yukatas. Tetsuya remained at Byakuya's side until darkness had fallen, and his cousin retired to his bedroom. Then, he slipped into his own room and changed into darker clothes.

He left the room and passed through the gardens, careful to avoid the eyes of the guards, then took the left hand trail that led into the woods and ended in a small glen near Orochi's residence. Tetsuya moved into a position to observe the guards around the property and noted their actions carefully. He waited until the house ahead of him had quieted and most of the household seemed to be asleep. He moved closer on silent feet and approached a small break in the fence that was just large enough for him to pass through. As he bent to go through, a hand touched his shoulder, making him whirl in surprise and capture the hand that touched him. His eyes searched the hooded man's face, then he gave a annoyed sigh.

"Sousuke! What are doing, sneaking up on me like that?" he demanded, his heart pounding.

"Hmmm, what is my lovely fiancé doing, sneaking around someone's house under a veil of darkness?" Aizen asked smoothly, "Who lives here?"

"My father's cousin, Orochi, a rather horrid man who wishes that they could have eradicated all half-bloods. There has...been some talk that he is involved in something suspicious. I was going to see if I could find anything to indicate if that is true."

"My sweet, very just and proper mate is stooping to illegal activity to achieve his goals? Oh, I have corrupted you! Would you like any help? I am very good at this sort of thing. It comes much more naturally to me..."

"Yes," Tetsuya laughed softly, "But I will be fine. Just...go back and wait for me in my room. I will be home shortly."

"Oh, no. Not on your life," Aizen said, smirking, "I'll tell you what. You use Kyouka Suigetsu and go in and gather whatever you need. I will wait out here and watch your back. Does that meet with your approval, my stealthy lover?"

Tetsuya rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Great. You can provide a distraction to help me escape if I am sensed."

He slipped through the gate, leaving Aizen smiling after him, and followed the route he had planned to the house. He knew already where Orochi's personal office was, and was inside it in a matter of minutes. He carefully searched his cousin's desk and file cabinets, using the soft moonlight that came through the window to read several documents. He was careful to leave everything exactly as he found it and to move noiselessly. He completed his search of the room and was about to go, when an oddity about a portrait on the wall caught his attention. He studied the portrait for several long minutes, then tried to lift it down from the wall. To his surprise, it would not move, but seemed fused to the wall. He searched the wall and the area around the portrait, loosing a soft sound of victory as he found a tiny hidden switch. He touched it, and the wall opened. He cringed at the soft sound it made and listened for a time after it opened, to make sure that no one had heard. Then, he walked into the hidden room. The door closed behind him, leaving him in complete darkness. He made a small kido light on his fingertips and searched for a release switch to let him out, but couldn't find one.

_Well, I'll have to attend to that later..._

He moved on into a larger room and cast the light about, then caught his breath softly at the sight of a number of devices that could only be for restraining someone. Present as well were implements of a deviantly sexual nature that made Tetsuya's eyes widen and his face make an expression of disgust.

"Bastard!" he whispered, looking closer and finding traces of blood, "I cannot believe we're related!"

He looked around the edges of the room and found several file cabinets and storage boxes. He was in the midst of investigating them, when soft voices sounded outside the room and Tetsuya heard the hidden door opening. Instantly, he put out the kido light and whispered to Kyouka Suigetsu to hide his presence. He slipped into the shadows as Orochi entered the room with a youthful and frightened looking house attendant.

"Don't worry, now," said the older man, "I will be gentle with you. It is your first time, ne?"

"Y-yes sir," the servant said in a trembling voice.

Orochi moved closer to the youth, slipping a hand under his chin and gazing down into his frightened blue eyes. Tetsuya fliched uncomfortably as he kissed the youth and, at the same time, began to undress him. The attendant shivered and gave a shuddering moan as Orochi slid his hands down the youth's back and pulled their bodies into close contact.

_Kyouka Suigetsu, isn't there something we can do?_

Orochi moved his hips, rubbing against the frightened attendant's body and beginning to hold him more tightly.

"Master Orochi," the youth said pleadingly, "Please stop. I...I can't do this!"

"Of course you can," Orochi said smoothly, "You are an obedient servant, ne? You know how to do what you are told and keep quiet."

The boy gave a sharp cry as Orochi shifted suddenly and threw him down onto a cot, then quickly restrained his wrist and ankles. He laughed softly and leaned down to lick the attendant's earlobe.

"Now...you be a good boy and give me some pleasure, and I won't whip you for disobeying me."

"Please...no!" the boy cried, "Stop! Help! Somebody help me!"

"No one can hear what goes on in this room," Orochi hissed softly, "So, no one will hear you scream when I punish you for your misbehavior."

He sat down next to the youth and sank his fingers into the attendants hair, tightening his fingers until the youth screamed again. He forced the attendants thighs apart and glared down at him.

 _That is it!_ Tetsuya thought, furiously, _I can't just let him do this!_

He moved out of the shadows under a cloak of Kyouka Suigetsu's illusions, approaching the man from behind as Orochi stroked the frightened attendant's privates and traced the tight ring around his entrance. Tetsuya sent a sudden, hard shock of kido through Orochi's body, stunning him and making his body collapse onto the servant's. The youth screamed in panic, struggling against the bonds and pleading for help. He froze as Tetsuya shoved Orochi off of him and onto the floor and quickly freed the boy.

"Wh-who are you?" the attendant gasped, "Why can't I see you?"

"Never you mind," Tetsuya said kindly, still using Kyouka Suigetsu to hide himself and to alter his voice.

He helped the youth up and waited as he tied his yukata closed, then slipped a token into his hand.

"Go to Kuchiki Manor and show the guards this token. Tell them that you are under house protection and they will make sure that Orochi does not bother you again."

"But sir, I have a younger brother...and Master Orochi has shown interest in him, once he is of age."

_Sick bastard..._

"Take your brother with you. I will keep Orochi here so that you can escape. No one will see you go."

"Th-thank you!" the attendant sobbed, "He is horrible! So cruel!"

"I know," Tetsuya said quietly, "I know exactly how cruel that man is. Go now. You will be safe from him."

He watched as the youth left, leaving the hidden door ajar, then he lifted Orochi's slumped body onto the cot and set him in restraints. He sent another shock of kido through the man's body to make sure he slept, then continued his search of the room. Finding nothing useful, he was forced to conclude that although he was certainly a disgusting person, Orochi had not been involved directly in what happened to Yasu.

As he prepared to leave, he stopped and leaned over Orochi, untying his yukata and leaving him bared. Then, he left the hidden room, propping the door so that it could not close. He slipped out of the house and made his way back to where Aizen waited. As the older man pulled him close and invaded his mouth, several odd noises rose up within the house. Lights flashed on inside, and the house alarms began to wail.

"What...? Sousuke, what did you do?"

Aizen's smile widened.

"I remember that man, the one who lives there," Aizen said, listening to the voices rising up in the house, "I think I hated him on sight. I regret he'd left Central 46 by the time I returned and killed that lot."

"Sousuke!"

"Don't worry," Aizen assured him, "I am a changed man because of you. I didn't do anything really dangerous...however, there will be much to clean up."

Tetsuya stifled a laugh and buried himself in the other man's arms, exchanging kisses while they watched the chaos erupting through the house.

"I only wish I'd been able to address him directly," Aizen said softly, "Mischief is pleasant, but putting that man in his place would be sweeter."

Tetsuya smiled and whispered into Aizen's ear, making his lover catch his breath in surprise at the description of what Tetsuya had done.

"Why, watashi no koi, I didn't think you were capable of such things. But hearing that has put me in an amorous mood. Let us leave your cousin to deal with his situation, and spend the night in our own torrid displays of wanton sexuality."

Tetsuya blushed, making Aizen's eyes darken with a dangerous lust. He glared hungrily down into Tetsuya's widened blue eyes, then swept the young noble off of his feet and carried him back towards Kuchiki Manor.


	5. The Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya's cousin, Orochi dishes out some payback...

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You would paint the walls of our house with my spilled blood, just so that you could curse the color and design. You never looked but at the surface, yet hated me all the way through. You take your vengeance in the way of a coward...but my honor will not let me bow before you, even were all of my bones shattered.

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"Tetsuya?"

Despite knowing that Byakuya couldn't actually see that he was naked and sprawled across the muscular, bared chest of the Seireitei's most wanted criminal, Tetsuya's heart raced at hearing his cousin's voice. Aizen stirred beneath Tetsuya and chuckled softly as an appropriately yukata clad illusion of Tetsuya sat up on the edge of the bed to talk to Byakuya, while the lovers remained curled around each other and listened.

"I am sorry to wake you, watashi no itoko, but I wanted to ask you something."

"Hmmm?" the Tetsuya illusion mumbled sleepily.

"Two young attendants came to the manor during the night, bearing one of your clan tokens and requesting clan protection from their master...Orochi."

"Ah...I had thought we might hear from them."

"So...you are aware of what happened?" Byakuya asked.

Tetsuya's illusion looked into his eyes calmly.

"I have been aware, for some time, that Orochi abuses his servants with startling regularity," Tetsuya said truthfully, "and so I made certain that there was an avenue for the ones being abused to find a safe place to go, if they needed it."

"Hmmm," Byakuya said quietly, "And do you have any insight into how Orochi might have ended up lying in a secret room in his home, nearly naked and bound...with the door to the room left open so that he couldn't help but be found?"

Tetsuya's illusion continued to look steadily into Byakuya's eyes.

"Perhaps one of his victims finally could not tolerate the man's wicked treatment anymore," he said meaningfully, "or perhaps someone else couldn't bear to see him get away with it again."

"I see," said Byakuya, his eyes telling Tetsuya that the meaning beneath the words had been understood, "Well, that person was rather fortunate. Despite Orochi's insistence that he was attacked while looking through files in that hidden room with one of the attendants that came here, whoever his unseen assailant might have been was stealthy enough that he left no signs of his presence. And the attendant says that Orochi took him to the room to assault him. Oddly, though Orochi was furious at the situation, he stopped short of ordering a clan inquiry in the matter and he says that he is better off without 'those two useless boys' anyway."

"Which is his way of saying that he doesn't want it spread about that someone embarrassed him in his own home," said Tetsuya.

Byakuya's hand touched Tetsuya's and the clan leader's eyes showed concern.

"Tetsuya," he said solemnly, "I hope that you know that if anyone, clan member or not tries to dishonor or harm you, I will fight for you. If Orochi has done something to you...or threatened you somehow..."

"He hasn't," said Tetsuya, "though he may now, because whoever might have handed that token to those servants, possessed it because I gave them leave to do so. He will know I am involved and will likely look for a way to retaliate. But it is not like before. I am no longer a prisoner and he can no longer have me tied down and whipped like a slave for annoying him. Do not worry, Byakuya. I am a much stronger person now. And if I am placed in a situation of need, I will, of course turn to you. Arigato."

Byakuya gave him a gentle half-smile and squeezed his hand, then released it and stood.

"The older of the two boys will train with your attendant, Koji, to serve you. The younger has a strong connection with animals and has already made friends with Arashi, so he will be assigned to assist in the stables."

"Again, I thank you, Byakuya," said Tetsuya.

"You are welcome," Byakuya said, taking his leave of his cousin.

"Well," said Aizen, "You certainly have him twisted around your lovely little pinky. It is hard to imagine a straight-laced, rule loving, defender of the peace like him overlooking the fact that you were, after all, breaking and entering. There must be an interesting story there..."

"Orochi is an awful man. He has always been that way, as long as I've known him. I was lucky enough that he didn't toy with me sexually as he did with some of the other young, male prisoners, or Byakuya might have killed the man, himself."

"But you said that he ordered you bound and whipped?" Aizen asked darkly.

"On occasion. But I considered myself lucky in that if I hadn't been blood related, he wouldn't have feared eventual repercussions within the clan for raping me. I feared more for Naoki than myself, but he had a relative who had married into the Kuchiki clan, so Orochi only had him whipped as well."

"Now I regret only causing harmless ghosts and poltergeists to run amok in the house. I should have had a few of them tie him down and return the pain tenfold for everything he did to you."

Tetsuya smiled.

"I am blessed to have one who loves me so," he said, offering his riled lover a sweet, soulful kiss that made Aizen's eyes soften and grow amorous again, "I am content to let go of the past and to embrace the here and now."

He captured Aizen's hand and brought it to rest on his lower abdomen.

"Especially because we have this little one, who is the best of both of us. I won't let anything or anyone steal that joy from us."

"Neither will I," Aizen promised.

The two indulged in several more deep, wet kisses, then Aizen gently pulled free and sat up.

"Where are you going?" asked Tetsuya.

Aizen curved a warm hand around the side of his face and coaxed him into another steamy kiss.

"More business in the living world. I am preparing the way for our departure from Soul Society. And you have a council meeting, not to mention your work at Central 46."

"Yes," said the noble, nodding, "though I do wish that I could simply spend the day in bed with you."

"Well," Aizen whispered, nipping at a soft earlobe, "Tomorrow begins the weekend. We could go away for a few days."

Tetsuya sighed.

"I wish that I could," he said quietly, "But I have some duties that simply won't wait. Still, I look forward to every night in your arms. And I promise you, once we leave here and are on our own, you will have me all to yourself."

"I look forward to that, watashi no koi," said Aizen, "Very well, then. If you will not join me for a weekend escape, will you join me in the shower?"

He smiled at the lovely blush the words brought to Tetsuya's face. The noble nodded and took his lover's extended hand. They walked to the bathroom together and stepped in under the steamy spray. They wet their bodies, then slowly lathered each others in a thick, creamy layer of soap. Sinking into each others' mouths and rubbing their soapy bodies together, they let their hands meander over each other...sliding up and down the slopes of their backs, over the soft curves of hip, bottom and thigh, stroking each others' faces and hair.

Tetsuya smiled up at Aizen and raised his reiatsu, then silently willed the spray of water coming out of the shower head to do his bidding. The water continued to pour down onto their bodies, but the streams thickened and slid more teasingly along the surface of their skin, caressing their sensitive places, stimulating their nipples, soft abdomens, along their inner thighs, wrapping around each man's soft scrotum and then spiraling around their awakening lengths.

Aizen's hand snaked down Tetsuya's water slicked back and curved around his soft bottom, squeezing and caressing, then he invaded the younger man's entrance with deeply probing fingers as he pushed Tetsuya up against the wall and attacked his warm mouth with long, wet kisses. The noble closed his eyes, moaning and panting, biting at his lover's damp throat and shoulder as Aizen captured one of his legs and lifted it, then took him standing, braced against the tiled wall. Aizen's eyes went hazy with lust as he watched Tetsuya's slender, beautiful body writhe and grind sweetly against his, while his thrusts became harder and faster until both were panting hard and on the verge of release. Tetsuya's eyes opened as he climaxed, and his reiatsu flared, his control suddenly slipping and making the falling water turn to steam. Aizen breathed the hot vapors in deeply, groaning with bliss as his release filled Tetsuya's still grinding bottom. The younger man loosed a shuddering sigh and slid to the shower floor, held warmly in his lover's arms.

"Are you all right?" Aizen asked, caressing his face and feeding him softer kisses on the lips and throat.

"Just...a bit...dizzy," Tetsuya admitted, leaning against him, closing his eyes and working to catch his breath, "I don't know if I might lose consciousness or just be sick."

He held on to Aizen's hot, slick body and disappared briefly into the quiet and the warm, enveloping steam. He woke to find himself dried off, dressed in a clean yukata and curled up in bed next to his worried looking lover.

"Tetsuya, I was concerned. Your reiatsu depleted quite suddenly."

"I'm all right," he assured the older man, smiling and nuzzling closer to him, "Captain Unohana said that I would have some power flares and fall offs. It is quite normal, really. Don't be so worried. I'm not used to seeing you looking like that."

Aizen kissed him lightly on the forehead, then slipped out of bed and began to dress.

"I would prefer it if you would take it easy today," he said, looking back at the noble, "I know that you have many responsibilities, but you are with child, and you don't want to place too much stress on your body. Not that you attend well to what other people tell you to do, but..."

"Nonsense," said Tetsuya, reaching underneath his yukata to rub his slightly rounded belly, "I listen to what you say. Sometimes I just disagree. I don't think you'd enjoy my company nearly as much if I didn't provide some kind of challenge."

"Yes," agreed Aizen, walking back to the bed and offering his lover a parting kiss, "Well, a spirited nature is a good thing, but a bit of caution is also called for, on occasion. I don't suppose you would consider easing up a bit, just for today?"

"What, you're not going to just tie me to the bed to make me stay here?" Tetsuya asked, narrowing his eyes.

Aizen smirked.

"If I was able to remain here all day, wrapped around that lovely, naked body of yours, perhaps, but no such luck, I'm afraid."

"Ah, well, I shall see you tonight, then. And do not worry. I will attempt to shift some duties to tomorrow, so that I can get some extra rest after council this morning."

"Arigato," said Aizen, "That is a relief. I thought I would have to track you down when I returned and bring you back here forcefully."

"Not necessary," said the younger man, smiling up at him, "I will be waiting for you here, when you come back."

"I look forward to that," Aizen said, squeezing his hand gently, then letting go.

Tetsuya watched him leave, then rested quietly in his bed, for a time, rubbing his abdomen absently and listening to the sounds of the birds coming in through the garden doors, soft footfalls on the wooden walkway outside of his room, and the quiet voices of the manor staff. He drifted off and slept until it was nearly time for the council meeting, and his attendant arrived to dress him. He stood calmly as he was dressed, thinking how much quieter and less lively his room seemed without Aizen's presence.

"Thank you, Koji," he said as his attendant finished and left him alone again.

Tetsuya left his room and stepped out into the gardens, where he found Byakuya already waiting with Arashi.

"You look pale, watashi no itoko."

"I know," said Tetsuya, "So as soon as council ends, I will return home and rest."

"Good," sighed the clan leader, "I had thought that you might resist."

"Really?" said Tetsuya, smirking, "Why would you ever think that?"

"Because you have a very independent nature, Tetsuya."

"Yes, but on occasion, I do listen to my clan leader."

"On occasion," Byakuya agreed, watching as he mounted the stallion, then climbing up behind him.

Arashi carried them at a leisurely walk, giving the two men time to enjoy the coolness and fresh air, and to talk for a time before they arrived at the council hall. They dismounted in front of the building, and Tetsuya sent Arashi off, with an admonition to stay close. The two men entered the council chambers together and sat down, waiting as the meeting was called to order.

Tetsuya sat quietly at Byakuya's side, stealing glances at his older cousin, Orochi's scowling face. Once or twice, he felt the man's eyes touch him, and he felt Orochi's hatred of him boiling softly, just beneath the surface. He was relieved that council matters were concluded quickly and he was able to escape the man's seething glare.

"Tetsuya," said the head councilor, as the younger man took his leave of Byakuya and started to turn towards Arashi, "May I have a word?"

"Of course," Tetsuya said, pausing.

"I was wondering if you had the list of cases that Central 46 would be hearing next week. I think I would like to sit in on a few of the meetings."

"Oh yes, come, they are in my office."

The two walked down the hallway into the quiet office section of the building, where Tetsuya quickly found the requested schedule and handed it to the head councilor.

"Arigato, Tetsuya. I hope I shall see you while I am visiting Central 46."

"I am sure that you will," said the younger man, "I am nearly always at Councilor Yukimura's side when they hold the trials. He wants me to gain lots of experience, and to learn the tendencies and leanings of the other councilors."

"To be sure," agreed Nori, "Well, I hope you know how well your performance as an intern is reflecting on our clan. You are spoken very highly of. I think you will be advancing soon."

"We shall see," said Tetsuya, "I still have a ways to go...and some important people to win over."

"Well, I am sure that you will," said Nori.

Tetsuya sighed and slid into his chair as the old councilor left the office, and the room fell silent again. He checked to make sure that all council reports had been filed, then made an entry in his council journal, citing the developments of the meeting he had just attended. He closed his eyes and rested his face in his hands, inwardly glad that he had cleared his schedule for the afternoon, so that he could return home and rest.

_I have to admit, it was wise of Sousuke to suggest that. I do feel rather run down. But, I think that, on the way, I might slip into the Furukawa clan manor and do some looking around..._

He cleared his desk and stood, then left the office and started down the hallway, turning purposely away from Orochi's office and heading the other direction, even though it was a slightly longer route out of the building.

He was just passing an empty office, when he thought he heard a footstep behind him. He turned to look, then gasped as a strong hand covered his mouth, and he was dragged into the empty office and shoved down on the floor. A shock of kido roared through his body, stunning him as the office door closed, and he was quickly bound and gagged. He counted four unfamiliar male voices, talking softly, as someone sealed his spirit energy away, rendering him powerless, and another man checked his bonds.

Tetsuya strained to hear what they were saying, but couldn't make out the words. He reached out in his mind for Arashi, but before he could send an intelligible thought, a needle bit into his arm, and he began to lose consciousness.

_Sousuke..._

He felt his lover's mind snap to attention, reaching back for his in return...calling out to him repeatedly, but he had lost the ability to answer. His mind spun wildly as he confronted who must be taking him, and why.

He only wondered if Orochi would wake him up to taunt him, before the man deprived him of his life, then made sure that no one would ever find him. The thought tormented Tetsuya as the drug he had been given overwhelmed him, and he surrendered to the blackness and silence of unconsciousness.


	6. The Price of Intolerance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya fights for his life as Aizen rushes to find him.

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_We look like brothers, our faces reflecting our forebears, the bright power swelling around us. But despite the bonds of our blood, you stand against me. Why do your eyes show fury at the sight of me? Why does your hand tighten into a fist as I walk past? Are we not connected? "Yes," you say, "We are connected by blood and pain."_

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya groaned upon waking to find himself lying on hard ground, someplace unbearably cold and dank. His mind fogged with whatever drug he had been given, he automatically reached for out with his hands, giving a tremulous moan of distress as his fingers touched cold steel.

_That cannot be right. I know I left this place. I left it long ago._

And even in his reduced state, he realized quickly that the old cell he was in was the wrong size and shape, with the wrong distance between the bars. The air was even more icy than that he had encountered in Itamigiri, the half-breed's prison. And the place was too quiet. He shivered at the memory of being placed in solitary confinement when his guards became angry with him for one thing or another. That was where he had heard this kind of silence before.

_But this is not Itamigiri. Orochi would know not to take me there. He knows that is the first place Byakuya would look upon finding that the two of us were missing. This is somewhere else then. Itamigiri isn't the only old prison on family land. But, would he risk taking me anywhere on Kuchiki land?_

_I have to figure out where I am!_

He tried to reach out in his mind, to touch Sousuke Aizen's thoughts, Arashi's, Re-kuhime's, but he could feel nothing of them. He felt an odd weight on his neck and reached up with his fingers to find a hard leather collar that imposed a powerlessness over his body. Despite the feeling of weakness and dizziness it caused, Tetsuya crawled onto his hands and knees and struggled to see in the darkness around him. But with no light coming in from outside, and all sources of light within the ruined prison extinguished, he could only feel his way around the cell until he found the broken door. But he knew that, as things were, it was horridly dangerous for him to leave the cell without being able to see or sense what was around him.

_But I'm quite certain that he wouldn't just abandon me here. No, if he has gone so far as to abduct me, then he is going to toy with me until he has had his fun, and then he is going to kill me._

He made his breathing silent and closed his eyes, straining his ears for the slightest telltale sound, and heard the soft scrape of a sandal on the rock floor somewhere nearby. That small warning gave scant seconds to brace himself as the door to the cell flew open and his captor struck him with a powerful kick.

Tetsuya gasped.

_He can see me. That's right. It is an effect of his serpent zanpakutou. It isn't that he can see me. It is that his hearing and other senses are heightened._

Tetsuya moved swiftly, trying to hone on the heat of the other man's body and small, telltale noises he made. He connected with a kick of his own, then was sent crashing to the ground by a quick kido spell. The other man dropped down on his back, and pinned his arms, then laid on top of him, holding him still and taunting him.

"What's the matter, Cousin? You don't like coming home? This is where you belong, ne?"

"Have you lost your senses?" Tetsuya hissed, "Byakuya is not going to just sit back and let you abduct and kill me! You have done it this time, Orochi. You are not getting away with this!"

"And who is going to stop me, Tetsuya? Our cousin has no idea this old place even exists. No one will ever find any sign of you. And Byakuya will have no proof I've done anything."

"Do you think that will keep you safe?" snapped Tetsuya, struggling, "He will know you were behind this, and you will disappear too!"

"I don't think so, little half-breed!" Orochi said, bringing a knife to Tetsuya's throat, "Now, there is something that I didn't get to do while we were together in Itamigiri. I think you'll need a good beating first, for old time's sake, them something more intense...something that will teach you how unwise it is to trespass in my home and attack me!"

Tetsuya shifted his weight and threw his cousin off of him, then scrambled away, crawling on his hands and knees and feeling his way along. Orochi caught him a short distance up the corridor and began striking him with a hard leather strap.

"Stop trying to get away!" roared Orochi, "You have nowhere to go, and no way to escape me!"

Tetsuya caught the strap and pulled his cousin down, then struck him repeatedly. Orochi raised his spiritual pressure, making it seem to Tetsuya that he was suffocating. He managed to shove his cousin away, and heard him crash to the ground and go silent.

__

I don't know if that means he is unconscious, dead, or just concealing himself so he can attack me again.

__

Knowing he couldn't hide from the man and that, without his powers, he was at a huge disadvantage, Tetsuya climbed to his feet and peered into the darkness. He saw a tiny light in the distance and hurried towards it, abandoning stealth and running his hands along the cell bars to find his way. He stumbled along, falling several times before reaching the spot where the light had crept in. He found an old, cracked wooden door and slammed his body against it once, twice, then a third time before it broke, and he fell to the ground outside the old prison ruins.

It was nearly dark, and Tetsuya knew immediately that he was not on Kuchiki land. He looked around frantically and spotted a forested area. If he was fast enough...

He staggered to his feet and ran, not daring to look behind him. He was aware of a stirring in the reiatsu behind him, and pushed himself to his limits, desperate to reach safety. But Orochi caught up with him and brought him down just short of the trees. He touched a palm to Tetsuya's back, immobilizing his legs, then turned him over and struck him repeatedly with the leather strap, hitting his arms and upper body as he tried to defend himself. He said nothing more to Tetsuya, and wore a face that told the younger man that he was aiming to kill.

Finally, Orochi left off striking him and clawed at his already torn clothing, raking his skin. He forced Tetsuya's hands down on either side of his head and positioned himself between his cousin's kido bound thighs. Tetsuya felt something touch his entrance and loosed a terrified scream. Orochi laughed.

"Go ahead," he told his trapped cousin, "No one is going to hear you anyway. I am going to have my fill of you, and I am going to kill you right here. You will never trouble me again, you worthless peasant!"

Suddenly, Tetsuya remembered the sigil that Yuji Iitoku had placed on his hand.

_"What is this?" he asked as the physical mark disappeared, but the touch of reiatsu around it remained._

_"An old game we used to play," said Yuji, smiling nostalgically, "We placed markings on our hands that let us pass a barrier into an old fort we built together near here. If you focus on the marking and will it, you will be transported into this room. That should be handy as you investigate."_

_He paused for a moment, studying Tetsuya silently._

_"It could also be a way to protect yourself as you proceed."_

"No!" Tetsuya screamed, "Get off of me!"

He might have heard a faint voice touching his mind, but he couldn't attend to it as Orochi struck him in the face, stunning him, then tried to mount him again. Tetsuya left off resisting and struggled to free just one hand. He tore it free as Orochi positioned himself and struck him hard in the stomach, leaving him reeling, but still trying to touch the sigil.

_Gods, please _! he screamed in his mind.__

_Tetsuya_! Aizen's voice said, shattering the barrier around him, _I am coming!_

_Hurry, please! I can't...get him...off!_

Tetsuya realized suddenly that something in his environment had changed. He looked up at Orochi, where his cousin sat astride his body, and registered the look of shock and pain that had come over it. His eye fell to Orochi's chest, where a sword had passed through from the back and emerged in the front. Blood exploded from his stricken form and rained down onto Tetsuya's trapped body. Orochi screamed in terror, then his body disintegrated and disappeared, leaving Tetsuya in a thick pool of blood on the grass, just short of the forest.

"Wh-what?" Tetsuya managed dazedly, peering into the twilight and finding two hooded men standing over him," Who...?"

Neither man spoke or revealed his face. One knelt next to Tetsuya's fallen form and released the kido holding him in place, then he touched the noble's face, sending a numbing wave of reiatsu into him and leaving him in an odd half waking state. He could not see, but could still sense that the men were there, and that they were examining him thoroughly.

"I see no life threatening injuries," said the one leaning over him.

"And the child?"

"The child was not harmed, but his reiatsu has been drained. He will need an infusion."

He looked up at his companion.

"Should we just take him?" he asked.

"No," said the other, "We were not given orders to do that."

The other man paused, then touched his companion on the shoulder.

"He is coming."

The man leaning over Tetsuya sent another soft jolt of kido through him that made his mind go hazy and uncertain. The two men disappeared from his awareness, and Tetsuya was left lying in the long grass. A few minutes later, Tetsuya heard Arashi's step and felt the heavy throb of Sousuke Aizen's agitated reiatsu.

"Tetsuya!"

Aizen dropped to his knees in the bloodstained grass and examined him, as Tetsuya moaned his name deliriously and reached up to touch his face with bloody hands.

"It seems that most of this is someone else's," Aizen said in a low, angry tone, "What happened, Tetsuya?"

"O-orochi...had some others g-grab me at the council...hall. He...brought me here to kill me...for breaking into his house and h-humiliating him."

"You...killed him?" asked Aizen, looking around.

"N-no," said Tetsuya, blinking and trying to remember, "S-someone else was here...two men."

"Two men?" Aizen repeated, extending his senses, "Are you sure? There are no traces of anyone but us and your dead cousin here."

He looked around again as Tetsuya struggled to say more, but started to lose consciousness again.

"Byakuya is coming."

"You...have to go!" Tetsuya gasped, "Sousuke, he will sense you."

Aizen shook his head gently and began to lift the injured noble into his arms.

"Wh-what? Sousuke...?" Tetsuya moaned as Aizen placed him on Arashi's back and climbed on as well, "Where are we...?"

"It is time for us to leave. This is just one more sign that it was foolish for you to remain in the Seireitei, taking chances. I know you will miss your family, but I promise you, I will love you and try to make you happy. I will be a good father to our child. Understand, Tetsuya, you would be under scrutiny now. You cannot go back to them."

"B-but...Byakuya, he will think that..."

"No," said Aizen, "He will understand what he finds in the meadow. He will know I have taken you to safety."

Tetsuya fell silent, but looped his arms around Aizen's neck and rested his head on the other man's shoulder as Arashi carried them away from the old ruined prison.

"That man is lucky he is dead," Aizen said in a chillingly calm and deadly voice, "I would have incinerated him if he had still been alive and breathing. I will take the life of anyone who dares to raise his hand to you, Tetsuya."

"Thank you," whispered the noble, closing his eyes and kissing Aizen's frowning lips, "Thank you for coming for me."

"Don't thank me," said Aizen, "I was not there to protect you as I should. You will not be left without protection again. You have my word."

Tetsuya said nothing more, but rested his face beneath Aizen's chin and kept his eyes closed as they entered the precipice world and moved on to the world of the living. As weary as he was, he neither asked, nor looked to see where he was being taken. He slept for a time, held close in Aizen's arms, and encountering faint wisps of memories from their time in Hueco Mundo. He only returned to some level of awareness when Arashi stopped and Aizen helped him down then dismounted after him.

He was lifted off his feet again and carried to what seemed to be a cabin, set back in a thickly wooded area. He caught the fresh scents of pine and snow as Aizen carried him up a set of wooden steps and into the cabin. He set the noble on his feet inside and led him to the bathroom, where he removed the torn and bloodstained kimono.

Tetsuya stood silently as he was undressed and didn't move or speak while Aizen undressed himself and turned on the shower. He coaxed the dazed noble in under the water and slowly washed the blood from his skin, pausing now and again, to offer the younger man a gently placed kiss or to heal a bruise or abrasion that marred his fine, white skin. They stood under the hot spray for some time afterward, with their arms around each other and sharing soothing kisses. The water had begun to cool by the time Aizen turned it off and led Tetsuya out into the bathroom again, where he dressed the too-quiet noble in a fresh yukata, then combed out the long, wavy strands of his hair. When he was done, he led Tetsuya into the large master bedroom and watched as he settled into the large bed.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, thank you," said Tetsuya.

But he immediately fell silent again. Aizen sat down on the bed and brushed several loose strands of hair out of his eyes.

"Tetsuya, I know that you have just been through a traumatic experience, but you are going to be all right now. You and the baby were not hurt badly, and your cousin has been dealt with, though I wonder about those men you saw. I find it unnerving that they reached you before I did. I wonder if you might have been followed. But...I am relatively certain that if they had been sent by Byakuya, you would have been aware of them. That even I could not sense them is unsettling. While we are likely safe enough here, I want you to promise me that you will not leave this cabin without me."

Tetsuya sighed softly.

"Very well," he whispered, "I do not want to endanger our baby. But...I do wish that we could clear your name so that this would not be necessary, Sousuke. You know that if we stepped forward to prove..."

"Put that out of your mind," Aizen said, an unusually hard edge to his voice, "Such a thing would be far too dangerous."

"But Sousuke..."

"Stop," the older man commanded him, freezing Tetsuya in place with the severity in his tone, "That is exactly the thinking that cost me Yasu and our baby. I will not lose you and our child, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya's heart pounded at the intensity of the other man's eyes.

"Now, I want you to rest. I will bring some tea."

"Thank you, Sousuke," Tetsuya said softly.

He waited silently, letting his eyes run around the room, then looking out at the night sky.

There is such fury in him. I don't know how to talk to him when he is like that. He won't hear anything but his own mind. I know that he means well, but I still think that it would be better all around if he would just...

He let the thought go as his lover returned, bearing a tray with tea and food. Tetsuya sipped at the tea and took small bites of his meal, but felt too much discomfort to manage much. Aizen watched him closely until he set the tray aside, then slipped a hand into his and kissed him on the forehead.

"I know that you are affected by what happened to you. But now that that man is gone and you are no longer in the Seireitei, we can move forward with our plans. I know that you were looking forward to the day we could be married, and now that we are here, we need not delay anymore."

A look of relief and affection came over the younger man's face, and he sank into his lover's embrace, meeting him for a flurry of kisses.

"Sousuke, do you mean that? We can be married now?"

"Yes," Aizen said, smiling at him and kissing him again, "We can be married tomorrow, if you wish. There is no need to delay anymore."

Aizen's hand curved around his cheek and he rubbed his lips warmly against the younger man's.

"Will that ease your melancholy, my love? I know things have been difficult, but they are going to be better now. We will put all of this behind us, and start things anew with the beginning of our family."

"That sounds...so beautiful," the younger man whispered, his eyes softening as Aizen's hand crept down to the bump on his abdomen and caressed it lovingly.

Maybe he is right. Maybe we should leave the past behind us...

He fell deeply into the powerful brown eyes that gazed down at him, welcoming the loving hands that bared his body again. He watched in silence as Aizen's dark eyes, warm lips and softened tongue honored his newly healed and sensitive flesh, as his thighs were parted and his body claimed lovingly, passionately, possessively.

_I was never loved before, so all I know is this...this feeling of being overtaken, overwhelmed, completely conquered. A fire has been lit inside my heart that will never burn out and will never go cold. Do you know this? Do you know how deeply your love is returned, Sousuke?_

_I assure you, this is why I must continue to try to clear your name._

_No matter what._

_Until it is done._

_That is how much I love you, Sousuke..._


	7. Each According to his Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya defies Aizen and discovers evidence of the conspiracy within Central 46.

XXXXXXXXXX

_How like the falling snow are we...each one unique and beautifully faceted. We turn and spin in our own patterns, moving in our own ways...but all of us falling together_

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya woke to the now familiar, warning ache and swirl of nausea that had him out of bed in a flash step and in the bathroom. He was, at least, comforted by the fact that the nausea subsided more quickly, but he remained kneeling on the floor and rubbing his even more pronounced baby bump and feeling the burn of the child's reiatsu as it pulsed and throbbed fitfully beneath his skin.

_You are going to be powerful, like him. Already, I can feel it. Sometimes, it almost feels like it is beyond my body's limits to carry you._

_Be calm._

_Take what you need from me, little one._

Suddenly, it struck Tetsuya as odd that he was still alone.

He climbed slowly to his feet and suffered instant dizziness. He staggered back to the bed and collapsed onto it wearily, finally registering the ache of having been treated so roughly by his out of control cousin.

His stomach clenched as he relived Orochi's death. Sweat broke out on his skin and he shivered, his heart racing beneath his pale breast as he remembered the startled, pained expression on his cousin's face. And despite everything, he felt tears in his eyes.

_I know that he doesn't deserve to have me mourn him in any way, but something about his death seems to touch a nerve._

_Those two men._

_Who were they? And why did they appear just then? Why couldn't any of us sense them? I remember that Byakuya once said that when you do not sense an entity, it could be that the enemy is well beyond your level...possible in my case, but Sousuke couldn't sense them either. Byakuya also said that some kind of illusion or distraction was possible, but Sousuke is, himself, a master of illusion. He wouldn't be put off by that. The other possibility is that they were concealed by the combining of several strong powers. Sousuke said that they might be following me._

_And yet, he has left me alone?_

_That is very unlike him...unless..._

He climbed slowly to his feet to head off any dizziness, then he walked to the closed bedroom door and turned the handle. The door opened, but he sensed right away the strong barrier around the room. He touched it lightly, then tried to pass through it.

Even though he was sure he had, he found himself back in the bedroom.

Tetsuya's eyes narrowed and his reiatsu flared in annoyance.

"How typical," he muttered, "Not only meant to keep others out, but it impedes me. I understand the urge to protect, but he treats me like a misbehaving child!"

He studied the barrier carefully and tested it in several places.

_It would take a lot of effort to shatter it. And really, I have no reason to leave at the moment. I merely hate being confined. It brings back such awful memories. But this is not like that. I am in a much more comfortable cage...being protected...not tormented._

_Still, it flies in the face of my nature to just accept this..._

He forced down his indignation and returned to the bed, where he noticed that sometime as he slept, a tray of food and hot tea had been placed on the nightstand. The tea was still steaming and the food warm, so he was sure that Aizen couldn't have left very long before. A heady feeling of indignation made him want to hurl the tray at the barrier that confined him. But he forced it down, thinking about the child he carried. And in the end, he consumed the meal quietly, sitting on the bed and glaring at the place where the barrier was. He was so riled, he almost failed to see the note on the tray. He picked it up and read it as he sipped at his tea.

_Tetsuya, I have gone to see to the arrangements for our wedding. It will take several hours, but I should be back in time for lunch. Rest and eat. If you need me, send Arashi to find me. I look forward to our nuptials tonight. I hope you do as well. Love, Sousuke._

He wanted to hold on to his anger over being locked in, but thought back to what he had said when Tetsuya suggested working to clear his name.

_"I want you to promise me that you will not leave this cabin without me."_

_Tetsuya sighed softly._

_"Very well," he whispered, "I do not want to endanger our baby. But...I do wish that we could clear your name so that this would not be necessary, Sousuke. You know that if we stepped forward to prove..."_

_"Put that out of your mind," Aizen said, an unusually hard edge to his voice, "Such a thing would be far too dangerous."_

_"But Sousuke..."_

_"Stop," the older man commanded him, freezing Tetsuya in place with the severity in his tone, "That is exactly the thinking that cost me Yasu and our baby. I will not lose you and our child, Tetsuya."_

_Tetsuya's heart pounded at the intensity of the other man's eyes._

_"Now, I want you to rest. I will bring some tea."_

He thought back further, to the first time that Aizen had told him about what had happened to Yasu.

_"When he went before the council and told them about my great powers, the council deemed me 'too dangerous' and ordered my 'humane death.' Yasu was beside himself. He had no idea what they were about. So...he escaped with me, and we hid ourselves in the living world._

_We became intimate, and some time later, we discovered that Yasu was pregnant. But a few months later, we were sensed...and they came after us. They cornered us, and Yasu was fatally injured, protecting me from them. I used my powers to take him and to escape...but he died in my arms."_

"He only said that they were somehow sensed. He did not say how they were found, but...this time..."

_"That is exactly the thinking that cost me Yasu and our baby. I will not lose you and our child, Tetsuya."_

"He didn't want me to continue my investigation," whispered Tetsuya, "because he was worried it would end in my death...and he compared this to how Yasu died. Does that mean that...Yasu was trying to do something about their situation? Could he have been gathering information about the council's actions to force a meeting of the Royal Court?"

His heart pounded at the prospect.

_If he was investigating that, he would have had to have a safe place to keep the information. Perhaps the reason they were found is because Yasu gained some kind of proof of the council's actions. But if he did, then where would he have concealed it? If Sousuke knows, he isn't saying, and if I dare to ask, he will be angered even more, and likely not leave me alone for a moment. Not Sousuke, then, but who? Most of the councilors from that time are dead, and the one who is left may well have been a conspirator. I need to investigate Hisoka Furukawa, and I need to see if Yuji Iitoku can give me any further information about where Yasu might have hidden whatever information he uncovered._

_But how to get out of this room..._

_And how to return so that Sousuke doesn't know I was gone..._

_How?_

He felt a familiar shimmer in the air, and watched quietly as the pixie-like form of Re-kuhime formed on the bed, facing him.

"Re-kuhime," he said, nodding, "You have an idea?"

"I think I can help you," she offered, gazing into his eyes, "but you must promise me that you will be exceedingly careful, Master. The people who you are dealing with are very dangerous. I wonder if the ones who follow you might be connected to the corrupt ones who killed Sousuke Aizen's Yasu."

"But I thought that most of the councilors of that time are dead..."

"No one said that all of them had to be councilors," Re-kuhime reminded him, "Anyone related to those corrupt councilors...family and friends, being noble, were powerful enough to pool their energies to bring them against anyone who defied them as Yasu did."

"That is true. But...I need to get out of here to investigate. Yet, should Sousuke return, I need to be here. I cannot be in two places at once, so...?"

Re-kuhime smiled at him.

"Perhaps it is time for you to learn a new power."

"A new power?" queried Tetsuya. "What kind of power?"

The zanpakutou spirit captured his hands in hers.

"The command Touei creates waterforms that you use in battle. And you also use these outside of battle to move with stealth or to escape a sudden danger, ne?"

"Yes."

"There is a higher interpretation of that form, Touei Junsei...Pure Reflection. This special waterform is an exact replica that looks and feels like you. It cannot be given consciousness, but it appears as though sleeping."

"That is amazing," said Tetsuya, "but will it be enough to mislead Sousuke if he comes back? And what if he tries to wake me?"

"If awakened, you will return to the waterform, much as you return to a base form you have set when a waterform you are inhabiting is hit and destroyed."

Tetsuya smiled.

"That will be useful," he said, looking around, "But there is just one problem. How do I get out through the barrier without destroying it?

"Fresh air moves through the barrier, ne?" the spirit reminded him.

"Yes," Tetsuya replied, his eyes widening, "Likely, a small flow of water would as well, if the barrier somewhat porous. I do not think that Sousuke considered this when he set the barrier."

"And therein lies our way out," Re-kuhime concluded, "Simply disperse the water used to make your waterform, so that it trickles through. It will take a little bit of time and patience, but you can use that as a means of escape."

Tetsuya climbed out of the bed and dressed quickly, then returned to where he had lain. He touched the tip of his weapon to the bed.

"Touei Junsei," he commanded the blade, invoking his power.

The blade and Tetsuya's sapphire eyes glowed as water emerged from the zanpakutou's tip and slowly crafted the advanced waterform.

"This form take longer to set and has a longer duration than your normal waterforms. It is not useful in battle, but will have plenty of other applications."

"Yes," agreed the noble, "I believe that it will."

He watched as the form was completed, and marveled at how real it seemed.

"Incredible," he whispered.

He looked up at the zanpakutou spirit gratefully.

"Arigato, milady. You have truly outdone yourself this time."

"I will never fail you, Master."

"No," agreed Tetsuya, "You protected me even before I knew your name."

"And now that we are one, I will fight on your behalf until the end."

"Again, arigato."

He moved to the door and invoked his power, then watched as water seeped through the barrier and pooled together to make a waterform just outside the door.

"Brilliant," he whispered, shaking his head.

He focused for a moment, then shifted to the waterform that stood outside the barrier. Then, he carefully concealed his reiatsu and left the house. A soft whistle summoned Arashi, who gave him a disapproving look.

"What?" he asked softly, "Am I supposed to just lie back and let that man dictate my path? I love Sousuke, but he is wrong about this. I am not Yasu. I am not going to die the way he did. I will be extremely careful in my investigation, but I will get to the bottom of this!"

The stallion snorted non-committally, but stood quietly as Tetsuya mounted.

"Conceal your reiatsu," the noble warned his mount, "Remember that Byakuya will have sensed Sousuke where he found me at the old prison. I think he will have alerted the Gotei 13 and Central 46 of his findings. He had to. If he hadn't, he could be charged with aiding a fugitive convicted of capital crimes."

_But won't Byakuya sense that we've passed through the family senkaimon? I know that the Gotei 13 and Central 46 are barred from interfering with the noble family senkaimons, but certainly Byakuya can track you if he senses that you have passed through._

"We will not use a senkaimon," said Tetsuya, "When we were in Las Noches, I learned how to use the garganta. We will enter the Seireitei that way. The garganta will be sensed, but we will be long gone by the time anyone reaches it to examine it. And with our reiatsu concealed, they won't know it is us. They will likely think it was a group of hollows."

_I don't like using those dark things, complained Re-kuhime, But it does seem the best way to proceed. As you will, then._

Tetsuya rode Arashi at flash step speed, away from the cabin, then found a small clearing and drew his sword to open the garganta. They passed through the dark, icy underground cavern and emerged in a wooded area, not far from the Furukawa estate.

_It will be harder getting inside without Kyouka Suigetsu's help, whispered Re-kuhime, But it would have been wrong to ask him to defy his own master. There is enough of a rift between those two that they have to repair. We needn't add to it._

"Agreed," Tetsuya whispered back, "But since we do not have his help, I will need you to accompany me into the house and Arashi will keep watch."

He slid down off of the stallion's back and set a waterform, just outside a brush covered section of fencing.

"Keep watch from here. I will slip across the yard and enter through that opened window over there. If I am seen, then I will return to the waterform I set."

 _Be careful, Master_ , Arashi whispered into his mind, _The man who lives here is formidable_.

"Yes, well, so are we."

He left the stallion behind and quietly scaled the fence, coming down in the tree shaded yard he had been observing. He made his way across, using nearly invisible waterforms, passing almost silently from bush to hedge to bush, then reaching the window he had been watching. He peeked inside and found that the room was empty, but held a table that had just been cleared from breakfast.

_I remember from that gathering here last fall that his office is on the second floor. I will have to hope that no one is about when I go up the stairs. My waterforms are harder to see, but a person would have to be blind to miss seeing one at close range._

Luck seemed to be with the young noble, and he managed to reach the entry at the bottom of the stairs, then listened from an alcove until the area was quiet. He flash stepped to the top of the stairs, then ducked into a room as an attendant passed by. He continued down the hallway and reached the office door, but found it locked. Unruffled, he let his waterform fall into a pool and slide under the bottom of the door. He re-formed the waterform inside the room and quickly ascertained that it was empty.

"Thank kami..." he breathed.

Tetsuya set about a careful examination of the room, searching Hisoka's desk and files, then the small recess that looked to be a bedroom he used when working late at night. He studied the room, looking for places that might conceal hidden items, signs of concealing kido or illusions, or any hint that something important might be there in the room. His first sweep of the room yielded little, but two small keys that he could not find the locks for. He pored over the room a second time and found nothing.

He was just beginning a third sweep, when footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Tetsuya heard Hisoka's voice. He ducked down behind a large sofa and listened as two men entered the room and closed the door.

"I heard that Central 46 has issued an arrest order for that intern from the Kuchiki clan," the man with Hisoka said, sitting down on the sofa.

"I heard that as well," Hisoka answered, pouring himself and his guest glasses of sake, "I wasn't surprised. I haven't trusted him since he came back from Hueco Mundo after being Aizen's captive. You know that bastard probably controls his mind, and is using him to infiltrate the headquarters."

"It's kind of sad," said the other, "He was going to make a gifted councilor, though he might not have been in line with out leanings."

"Yes," agreed Hisoka, "He was too closely allied with that daft Councilor Yukimura. I don't think he would be malleable enough for our purposes. Still, if Aizen did corrupt him, perhaps..."

The two trailed off into other conversation for a time, while Tetsuya remained concealed.

"Did you bring that file I asked you for?" Hisoka asked several minutes later, "With Orochi's death, I would like to make sure it isn't vulnerable to being found."

"Right," said the other.

Tetsuya's breath caught as Hisoka took one of the keys and opened a hidden recess in the wall, just behind his desk. His heart pounded as Hisoka set the file inside the recess, then closed and locked it, leaving it nearly impossible to see. The two men left the room and Tetsuya slipped out from his cover behind the sofa. He ran to the desk and removed the key, then opened the hidden recess. He went through the files, shaking his head at the improprieties indicated in their pages.

"This man is disgusting..." he muttered.

His heart leapt and he made a soft sound of victory as he uncovered an old, time worn file near the bottom. Opening the file, he found a list of counselors, their names marked as 'with the movement,' 'benign,' 'persuadable,' and..."

His heart skipped a beat.

"To be eliminated," he read.

Several of the names had been crossed out, and news releases recorded their deaths from 'accident,' 'sudden illness,' or 'unknown or suspicious causes.'

"Sweet kami!" the noble hissed, a dizziness passing over him at finding something so damning, "I can prove conspiracy now, but I need something that connects this movement to what happened to Sousuke!"

Tetsuya took the incriminating pages from the old file, then replaced it where he had found it and set everything in place as it had been before his search.

"I need to keep these in a safe place," he mused.

His lips smiled as his fingertips strayed to the marking that Yuji had placed on his hand.

 _Arashi, I am taking another route out_. Return to the cabin, he informed the stallion.

He touched his fingertips to the invisible marking again and invoked its power, making Hisoka's office disappear as he was transported into Yasu Iitoku's concealed room. He breathed a sigh of relief at having escaped with the documents, but tensed again as the door to the room opened a few minutes later and Yuji entered the room.

"Tetsuya!" he exclaimed.

"I am sorry for intruding," Tetsuya said quickly, "But I needed a place to hide these documents. They contain evidence that there was a movement of some kind that aimed to undermine the true power given to Central 46. And...it also proves that, not only did Yasu exist, he was targeted by that movement, because he did not agree with their views."

Yuji stared at the documents in amazement.

"This is...incredible," he breathed, "And it is incredibly dangerous. Tetsuya, I am sure that this movement is still active today, and has new members. Before we move forward towards revealing these, we need to know who those councilors are. I can work on that. But you must leave the Seireitei. Are you aware that there is an arrest order for you? They claim that you are working with Sousuke Aizen, that you were corrupted by him, and are not in control of your actions anymore. You must tell me...are you involved with that traitor?"


	8. The Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While searching for evidence to vindicate Sousuke, Tetsuya encounters his cousin, Byakuya.

Yuji stared at the documents in amazement.

"This is...incredible," he breathed, "And it is incredibly dangerous. Tetsuya, I am sure that this movement is still active today, and has new members. Before we move forward towards revealing these, we need to know who those councilors are. I can work on that. But you must leave the Seireitei. Are you aware that there is an arrest order for you? They claim that you are working with Sousuke Aizen, that you were corrupted by him, and are not in control of your actions anymore. You must tell me...are you involved with that traitor?"

"Listen to me carefully," Tetsuya said, holding the man's eyes fearlessly, "You know that this movement that we are investigating has been controlling Central 46 for many years, from the inside, ne?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with the question of whether or not...?"

"It has everything to do with that question," Tetsuya replied, shaking his head, "And if you will sit down with me, I will tell you everything. I only didn't tell you everything before, because I had no proof of the conspiracy. Now, you see that I undoubtedly do. And what I will tell you will open your eyes to one of the ways these people have been misusing the powers of that governing body. It is this that put your brother in harm's way. Yuji, it is this very thing that killed Yasu, in the end!"

Yuji read the seriousness in Tetsuya's expression, then looked down at the papers he still held. He bit at his lips and let out a soft, nervous breath, then sat down on the bed. Tetsuya breathed a relieved sigh and sat down near him.

"Yasu was a rising star among the council of his time," Tetsuya began, "But being his brother, I am sure that you remember what he was like."

"Yes," answered Yuji, smiling sadly, "He was always so concerned with protecting justice...with making sure things were handled fairly, and pushing changes in policy where he saw faults. He was well liked for his kind, but very determined nature."

He looked up at Tetsuya.

"It seems that you channel something of that same spirit, Tetsuya. There is something about you that rings of the same essence."

Tetsuya smiled gratefully.

"I am honored you would think so," he said quietly, "And I must admit that since learning of your brother, it is also in my nature to desire justice for him. You see, I know exactly what happened to Yasu."

Yuji's eyes grew sad.

"I thought that you might."

"Again, I offer my apologies for not revealing things sooner, but I needed some proof to support what I am going to tell you."

"I understand," Yuji said, nodding.

"Yasu was involved in a program within Central 46...one that might have been started with good intent, but was turned to a darker purpose. It was made certain councilors' duty to...sense strong powers in young children, and to assess them to see if perhaps intervention might be needed to turn them onto a brighter path...to keep them from misusing their powers later on."

"They still do that," said Yuji, "It is a good program, I think. But you are saying that...?"

"I am saying that the program was, and still might be corrupted. But, in any case, it was Yasu's duty to conduct the assessments and to report his findings to the council. While conducting one of these assessments, he came across a teen boy with very exceptional powers. He did as expected, and informed the council. But when he did so, he was shocked that the council moved to terminate the boy's life, rather than to allow his powers to fully manifest."

"What?" asked Yuji, his eyes widening, "They were going to kill a child, who had done nothing?"

"Yes," Tetsuya answered.

Yuji's eyes closed for a moment and a soft shiver went through him.

"I think I begin to see what happened," he said softly, "Yasu would not have stood by and allowed such a thing to happen."

"No," Tetsuya said, gently laying his hand on the other man's, "Yasu was a just person, and he was courageous. He, of course, objected to the council's decision, and when he could not convince them to rethink it, he took the boy and ran."

Yuji's mouth opened for a moment and his eyes registered solemn understanding, weary acceptance.

"That sounds exactly like what my brother would do," he sighed.

"The two became very close, and eventually they fell in love. And it happened that this young man had another ability that affected your brother."

Yuji tilted his head slightly and frowned curiously.

"He was able to cause Yasu to become pregnant," Tetsuya explained.

He squeezed Yuji's hands gently as tears formed in the other man's eyes and he bit at his lips.

"My brother...?"

"He was with child," Tetsuya went on, "And Yuji, he was happier than he had ever been. But there was danger, of course, because they were fugitives. And, I am not certain how or why, but they were sensed."

Yuji's face paled.

"I have become convinced that they might have been found because Yasu was trying to gather evidence to force a meeting of the Royal Council. In any case, somehow they were sensed and found...and in the ensuing fighting, Yasu was fatally injured. He died in his lover's arms."

"Oh my god..."whispered Yuji, devastation enveloping his face, "I knew that something must have been going on for him to disappear, and I sensed his death...but I never would have thought it was like this."

"The young man that your brother was in love with was also shattered at losing him. And ironically, it was the council's own actions that made him use his powers against them. He gathered his strength, and when he was strong enough, he made his move against them."

Yuji's eyes registered sudden comprehension.

"S-sousuke Aizen?" he whispered, looking terrified at the thought, "My brother was in love with Sousuke Aizen? But...how could this be?"

"Sousuke was just a teen when he was assessed by Yasu, and he had no wicked tendencies. It was noted in your brother's report. But what the council did to Yasu, pushed him too far. Yuji, it doesn't change the fact that Sousuke Aizen took some very extreme and unjust actions, himself, but faced with the nightmare of what Central 46 did to the two of them...the weight was too much. He gave in to the need to make those men pay. And he carried out his vengeance against them, unfortunately harming and killing some innocent people as well.

The Iitoku clan leader went silent for several minutes, gazing down at where Tetsuya's hands held his. Finally, he sighed and seemed to come back to himself.

"There is something I don't understand, though," he said quietly, "Why is it that all traces of my brother disappeared? Why doesn't anyone but the two of us remember him?"

"The reason that no one remembers," Tetsuya explained, "is because Sousuke Aizen used his powers to erase the memory of him. It was, he said, what Yasu would have wanted. He didn't want his actions to reflect poorly on you and the rest of your clan. Yuji, he did this to show respect for someone he loved deeply. And even after everyone else forgot your brother, Sousuke remembered him."

The room went quiet again, with just the soft breathing of the two men breaking the stillness. Yuji shook his head and closed his eyes, considering all he had heard, then he looked at Tetsuya again.

And this time he saw...

"You are with child," he said suddenly, "That is why you are doing this? Trying to prove corruption? You want to clear his name?"

"If the shadow of doubt is cast over the council's integrity, then any decisions made that may have been affected by the corruption will be reviewed and likely set aside. Sousuke would not be held completely unaccountable, but the council would consider that he would not have taken the actions he did, had justice been properly served. He would be freed to be with me...and with our child."

Yuji sighed again and rubbed his hands over his face, then gently extracted his hand from Tetsuya's and moved it to rest on the warm baby bump on the younger man's abdomen. His eyes were gentle and nostalgic as he tried to imagine his brother in that condition.

"Yasu," he whispered, "He would have been beside himself with joy at such a thing as having a child. He loved children...and there was nothing that he would not do to protect one."

He let out a long breath.

"Tetsuya, I do not know what to do now," he confessed, "I would have thought that I would, myself, kill any man who admitted to loving such a monster as Aizen was. But...looking back with this knowledge in mind...I see the broken heart going out of control. It doesn't excuse his actions completely. He did hurt more than just the ones who did this to the two of him. But he did honor my brother's memory, even so. And now, you are walking the path that my brother did...in the same condition, and facing the same great odds."

Yuji's lips tightened.

"I cannot in good conscience let you be hurt...perhaps be killed as he was. I will help you, Tetsuya Kuchiki. But you must promise me that you will be careful. Enough innocent blood has been spilled over this. You may come and go as you will, here. You may use this place as refuge when you need to. And you may store any evidence you find in this hidden room for safekeeping."

He captured the hand on which he had placed the sigil and made a small adjustment to it. Tetsuya looked back at him curiously, and Yuji smiled.

"You may also use this sigil to transport yourself into our old hideout. It looks like a deserted old shack, but there is an underground room that we built together. In case of an emergency...if, for some reason you cannot come here, you could go there as well."

Tetsuya smiled back at the other man gratefully.

"Thank you, Yuji."

"Does Byakuya know?" Yuji asked, "I know that he and you are very close. Have you told him about all of this?"

Tetsuya lowered his eyes and shook his head gently.

"It is the only thing I have ever kept from him since he rescued me from the half-blood's prison. But he would have been torn between his devotion to me and his duty. I did not want to hurt him that way."

Yuji met his eyes gently.

"It is hard sometimes to know what to do in such cases," he admitted, "It is likely that my own brother held back from me as he did, for much the same reason. But...I think that when you have proven your claims about the council's corruption, he will be very relieved, Tetsuya."

"In the meantime, I have to be sure that we do not cross paths. If we do, I will not raise my sword to him. I would rather cut my own throat than to do that. I owe Byakuya everything, my service, my loyalty...my very life."

"Well, as I told you earlier, I will investigate the members of the current council to see how far the corruption still goes. I am not wanted by the authorities, and I have sufficient protection to attempt it. You will have to try to find your proof of what Aizen told you about Yasu and him, and what the council did to them. You are free to search the manor, but because you are wanted, you will have to do so quietly...but I think a man who just infiltrated Hisoka Furukawa's home and found such damning evidence can manage that, ne?"

Tetsuya smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," he said softly, "Yuji, I really appreciate your help."

Yuji smiled warmly.

"I cannot help my brother...but...I can do this. I can help you and this innocent child you carry. I am still not ready yet to embrace Sousuke Aizen so willingly, no offense, but..."

"He is a ruthless man," Tetsuya admitted, "When he abducted me, he was quite willing to kill me at any turn. I was terrified of him. But, once I discovered what had happened to Yasu, and we let down our defenses, something of who he was before seemed to return. He is still ruthless...a very dangerous man. But I no longer fear him."

Yuji laughed nervously.

"I think I will hold on to my own fears, Tetsuya."

"I understand."

"I know that you do," said Yuji, standing, "I am going to get started on my part of the investigation. You should rest a bit. You look pale."

"I am fine," said Tetsuya, rubbing his abdomen, "I do need to do some looking around, though. There are still some places that might hold clues. I finessed from Sousuke the location of the place where he and Yasu stayed while hiding out. I am going to go and search it, if it is still standing."

"Very well," said Yuji, turning towards the door, "Let me know the minute that you find anything."

"I will," said Tetsuya, watching him leave the room.

He moved carefully around Yasu's room, then, searching every inch, and still finding no sign of the proof he needed. He rubbed his hands over his face and noticed the time.

_I have to go back soon. But there is time, I think, for a look around the place that they stayed in the living world._

He slipped out of the Iitoku manor and started into the woods, his mind focused on all that had happened. He was so involved in his thoughts that he didn't sense what was happening until the reiatsu swelled around him and the pink swords of Byakuya's senkei began to fall into place. Taking a surprised breath, he looked back over his shoulder and saw Byakuya standing silently behind him, with Renji Abarai at his side.

"Byakuya..." he said softly, his sapphire eyes widening.

Ice seemed to flood Tetsuya's veins as the clan leader stood, gazing at him silently. Tetsuya swallowed hard and waited patiently for him to speak. Several tense moments passed.

"Tetsuya Kuchiki," he said finally, "It is my duty to place you under arrest on charges of concealing and aiding a known criminal convicted of capital crimes. I will need you to surrender yourself immediately. Do not require me to use force to apprehend you."

"I will not raise my sword against you, Cousin," Tetsuya said quietly, "But I do hope that you will allow me to explain before you arrest me. I think that you will understand the actions I have taken if you hear..."

"You will need to be placed in restraints first," Byakuya said, frowning, "Because I am certain that the man I trained would not allow himself to be captured so easily."

Tetsuya gave him a sad smile.

"I must admit that my thoughts weighed heavily on me. I wasn't paying proper attention. It must be a disappointment."

"I am more disappointed that you would put me in this position, watashi no itoko. You, of all people..."

Tetsuya's eyes grew tormented, and he bit his lip gently. He sighed softly, lowering a hand to his abdomen and allowing his cousin to see what was concealed beneath the illusion Aizen had set. Byakuya's eyes widened, and his hand tightened around his sword.

"You understand," said Tetsuya, "that I am investigating members of council who may have been corrupted. That is why Central 46 wants me in their custody," Tetsuya explained, "Byakuya, you know that we will not live long enough to stand trial. I am a hair's breadth from proving corruption so great that it would set Sousuke Aizen free!"

Byakuya's eyes darkened and his power swelled around him, but Tetsuya didn't miss the calm flicker of understanding there.

"Then...you had better have been misleading me when you said that I caught you unprepared, Tetsuya."

Their eyes met and an unspoken thought passed between them.

Then, Byakuya and Renji drew their weapons and flash stepped forward. Tetsuya remained until the last moment, looking into his cousin's eyes apologetically. Then just as the two reached him, he invoked his own power, leaving behind a waterform that the two other men struck and watched shatter and fall into a puddle on the ground.

Byakuya negated his senkei and stood looking at the pool of water on the ground. Renji shook his head sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Byakuya," he said quietly, "I know you were hoping that this was something else."  
"It cannot be helped," said the clan leader, "I knew something wasn't right, ever since he returned after being abducted by Aizen. But...that he is carrying that man's child...and Aizen allowing him to put himself in harm's way."

He stopped himself and let the beginnings of a smile touch his lips.

"Although, it is more likely that Tetsuya is pursuing this against Aizen's wishes. I am sure that he wouldn't allow the one carrying his child to endanger himself so."

He shook his head worriedly.

"I just hope that he is exceedingly careful."

"He will be," Renji assured the noble, "Remember who taught him everything that he knows. He'll be all right, Byakuya."

"I hope so," said Byakuya, sheathing his sword, "He is walking a very dangerous path."


	9. Surrounded

XXXXXXXXXX

_Even as our enemies close in around us, we have eyes only for each other, hearts that beat together and hands that hold on tightly. Let your lips meet mine for one last kiss...then let me go. For I would rather die than be the death of you._

XXXXXXXXXX

"You were sloppy," the brown haired man chided the two men who approached the mirrored pool, where he sat, observing the confrontation between Byakuya and Tetsuya, "Had Aizen seen you..."

"We made sure he neither saw nor sensed us."

"But he got a look at you. You are lucky that Tetsuya was incapacitated."

"Our apologies, of course, sir," the two men said, bowing.

The brown haired man tilted his head, watching appreciatively as Tetsuya escaped Byakuya's senkei and reappeared in his advanced waterform in the cabin in the living world.

"That is a new ability," he commented, nodding his approval, "He continues to grow stronger...in powers, and in his determination to see Sousuke Aizen cleared. He is close now. I observed earlier that he has proof of conspiracy. He is almost there. He has only to find the evidence that Yasu Iitoku concealed, and then we can make our move. We just want to be sure that he has gathered everything first. Taking care of that all at once is a priority."

"But no one has been able to find Yasu Iitoku's evidence," objected one of the two subordinates, "Not in all of this time."

"Well," said the brown haired man, "Our Tetsuya is very determined and resourceful. I am sure that he will find what he is looking for very soon. So you will need to stay very close to them."

He looked up at the open balcony doors that overlooked the part of the garden where he sat, and sighed softly.

"As much as it hastens the passing of my dear Mitsuru, I ache for an end to this...and a new beginning as rightful..."

He paused and stared down into the water.

"What is it, my lord?" asked his subordinate, "Is something wrong?"

"There is a dramatic disturbance in his reiatsu," the brown haired man said, frowning with concern, "I think it is the child."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya felt the return of discomfort as soon as his soul settled inside the set waterform within the barrier. Dizziness swept over him and his heart pounded oddly. His abdomen ached fiercely and it felt as though the blood had caught fire inside his veins.

Master, are you all right? Re-kuhime's voice called into his mind.

Tetsuya sat up, then winced and brought a hand to his abdomen, taking short, panting breaths as the pain blossomed and spread. The zanpakutou spirit appeared on the bed beside him and eased him back down, onto his side.

Arashi, Tetsuya warned the stallion, You must find Sousuke, quickly!

He felt the fleeting brush of Arashi's thoughts as the stallion flash stepped away from the cabin. Re-kuhime collected a wet cloth and cooled his face with it, as Tetsuya took slower breaths to calm his struggling body.

"What is this?" he whispered, "What is happening? I was fine before! Is this...? It couldn't be my fault...for pushing myself."

"Don't worry about that right now," Re-kuhime said, curling a hand into his, "You weren't straining yourself. The outlay of power wasn't that great, even considering the use of your new form. This is something else."

"S-sousuke warned me not to pursue this," Tetsuya panted as the pain flared again, "Had I remained here..."

"Master, do not do that. Do not blame yourself. Your body wasn't made to endure procreation. And that places unusual stress on you. Do not make it worse by tormenting yourself. This is not your fault."

"But if I had stayed within the barrier..."

He broke off, realizing that Aizen had appeared in the room and was rushing to his side.

"Arashi told me that you were in distress," the older shinigami said quickly, "I returned as quickly as I could."

"Sousuke," Tetsuya gasped, catching his breath as another pain jolted his body, "I don't know what is wrong! But it feels like I am on fire inside."

Aizen leaned over him and examined him briefly. His eyes darkened and his lips tightened as he realized.

"Your reatsu has destabilized," he told the noble, "You need healing at once."

"But we...cannot show our selves!"

He inhaled sharply as Aizen lifted him and shattered the protective barrier.

"Sousuke!" cried Tetsuya, "Sousuke, don't! We'll be sensed! Please stop!"

But the deadly intensity that had darkened the man's eyes told the young noble that his lover was not of a mind to listen, so he clung to Aizen's shoulder as he flash stepped into Karakura Town and turned towards the river area.

"Where are we going?" Tetsuya panted.

Aizen didn't answer, but Tetsuya recognized the area.

"Not to Kisuke Urahara..."

"No," Aizen said, shortly.

"Orihime?"

"Yes."

Tetsuya settled against Aizen's shoulder, taking comfort in his lover's intense strength. Aizen carried him past Urahara's shop and some distance on, before coming to an apartment complex and flash stepping up onto one of the balconies. He swept inside, earning a soft gasp of surprise from the female resident. Orihime's eyes went wide at seeing who it was who had invaded her home, but upon seeing Tetsuya, she led them quickly into one of the bedrooms, where Aizen laid his noble mate down on the bed and sat down next to him.

"He is with child," Aizen explained, "and his reiatsu has destabilized. He needs to be brought back into balance, or..."

All three understood the rest without him finishing the sentence. Orihime sat down next to Tetsuya and raised a golden healing shield over him. She focused deeply, first restoring his drained reiatsu, then working to bring the jumbled elements within it back into balance. She proceeded in silence for several long minutes, then looked up at Aizen with a worried expression.

"What is it?" Aizen asked sternly.

"I was able to bring him to the full strength of his reiatsu, but the disruption in the spirit particles is interfering with my powers. I know that balance needs to be restored, but I don't know as much about how it works as a shinigami healer. I need a healer to help me."

Aizen frowned.

"Is Hanatarou Yamada in Karakura Town?"

"No," said Orihime, "A state of emergency was called when it was sensed that you were still alive. The shinigamis not needed to protect the town directly were called back to the Seireitei for briefing."

Aizen's eyes flickered dangerously, and his reiatsu hummed threateningly around them. He thought in silence for several minutes, then looked down at Tetsuya's pained expression and loosed a sigh of resignation.

"I am not going to just sit here and let them die," he said quietly.

His hand moved to Kyouka Suigetsu, but then he paused and glanced at Tetsuya again. His eyes registered sudden comprehension, and he extended a hand and summoned Re-kuhime to his hand. Orihime made a sound of surprise.

"Isn't that Tetsuya's sword?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"We are soul bonded," Aizen explained, "Continue to heal him. I will make sure that help reaches us."

Orihime nodded and resumed her task.

"What are you going to do?" Tetsuya asked softly.

Aizen squeezed his hand and smiled.

"I am going to find a healer."

"But we'll be captured, won't we?" the noble objected.

Aizen shook his head and his smile became more of a self satisfied smirk.

"I think not," he replied, giving Tetsuya a kiss of farewell, "Rest now. I will be back soon."

"Sousuke," the noble whispered, watching him go, "Be careful. You are not immortal anymore."

He looked up at Orihime, his heart aching with worry.

"Is the baby all right?"

Orihime nodded.

"The reiatsu cluster and chamber seem to have some way of protecting themselves from what is happening to your reiatsu. But they can't do that forever. I hope he comes back quickly."

"I'm sure that he will," Tetsuya said, breathing a sigh of relief as the human girl cooled his face again with a wet cloth, "He knows what is at stake and he is determined."

"He is," Orihime agreed, "I just wonder what his plan is."

"I think that maybe we are better off not knowing," Tetsuya commented, shaking his head, "He calls me reckless, but I think that man invented the concept."

XXXXXXXXXX

Aizen leaned forward and sent Arashi moving into flash steps. They passed through the precipice world, cloaked in illusion and setting off the Seireitei alarms. But even as shinigami guards flooded the area, they failed to see the stallion and rider that proceeded at top speed past them. Horse and rider burst out of the central senkaimon and raced past the sentries at the Seireitei gates. Aizen turned Arashi in the direction of the fourth division and drew Re-kuhime. He set a number of waterforms along the path to the fourth division, hoping that he wouldn't need them. He sighed in frustration as new alarms rang out around him, telling him that the formidable sensors in the area had picked them up again. He shook his head and set himself to the arduous task of altering his reiatsu as Arashi continued to run for the fourth division. He registered relief as they managed to avoid being sensed while continuing forward.

Arashi slid to a stop outside the fourth division, and Aizen quickly invoked his powers to make himself appear as just another healer. He walked into the fourth division and was ignored by everyone around him as he sought one particular healer's reiatsu. He located it and proceeded to the office, where he opened the door and stepped inside. The healer in the office turned to face him, her eyes widening as he revealed himself.

"Retsu Unohana," he said quietly, "I am not here to do any harm. There is someone who very much needs your help. Will you assist him, with the understanding that I will release you unharmed when he is healed?"

"You are referring to Tetsuya Kuchiki, ne?" the healer said, looking oddly unruffled.

"Yes," Aizen affirmed, "His reiatsu has destabilized and he and our child are in danger of being lost."

Unohana nodded immediately.

"I accept your terms," she said, watching him solemnly as he cloaked them in illusions.

He slipped a hand into hers and focused on a group of waterforms he had set near Orihime's home. The two felt an odd moment of disorientation, then found themselves standing in a park near Orihime's apartment.

"Fascinating," said Unohana, "This is Tetsuya Kuchiki's waterform ability?"

"Yes," answered Aizen, "I am able to use his powers because of our soul bond."

"I see," she said, taking a moment to study an unused waterform. When we investigated the one he used in the Seireitei today, I noticed that his skill with them has improved."

Aizen's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more as the two entered the apartment and proceeded to the bedroom. Captain Unohana joined Orihime next to Tetsuya and added her own powers to those of the human girl.

"Just so that you are not taken by surprise," Unohana said to Aizen, "I was able to tell that we have been sensed here. If you are going to figure a way out, then you had better work on that as we heal Tetsuya."

Aizen nodded briefly and exited the room. Tetsuya watched him go, then looked up at Captain Unohana's gentle face.

"Will you tell me something?" the noble asked softly, "Captain Unohana, is this...what is happening...is it...my fault? I did use my powers today...to create an advanced waterform. Sousuke said that I shouldn't push myself. Was he right? Was I putting our child in danger?"

The healer smiled sadly and shook her head.

"You are a male, and your body was not meant for making children. So although you are coping well, for the most part, you may experience more complications as you progress. It may have increased the demands on your body to use your powers, however, you were likely to suffer complications anyway. But do not fret, Tetsuya. This is nothing that Orihime and I cannot manage. We will set you right in no time."

The three caught their breath as a rumble of power shook the building. Tetsuya's expression grew tormented. It is them," he gasped softly, "They have found us!"

"It is the secret mobile corps," acknowledged Unohana, "however, they will not be able to reach us for the time being."

"What do you mean?" the noble asked, frowning in confusion.

"I came here with Sousuke Aizen under a flag of truce...to treat your medical condition. No one from our side may advance while we are under those conditions. Rest easy, Tetsuya. I am going to heal you. And if I know Sousuke Aizen, he will have thought of a way out of here by the time I am done."

Tetsuya went quiet, his sapphire eyes glistening with tears as he considered what he had done. Unohana observed him silently as she continued his healing, then when she judged him to be out of danger, she continued speaking.

"You look very troubled, Tetsuya Kuchiki. I think that you are in turmoil over something. Would you like to get it off of your chest? Perhaps it would help to speak of it to someone."

Tetsuya let out a gentle, wounded breath.

"Sousuke was right," he said in a choked voice, "It was reckless of me to attempt to win his freedom while encumbered like this. I could have lost our child. I know you will tell me that it wasn't my fault...but you did admit that using my powers could have contributed to this. He told me not to leave the cabin..."

"And you should have listened," said Aizen's voice from the doorway.

Tetsuya froze, staring at his dark, angry expression. Unohana read the tension between them and quickly acted to head it off.

"This isn't good for Tetsuya," she said firmly, "Whatever he might have done, he seems to have reconsidered his actions. And besides, you have more to think about, Sousuke Aizen, than just that."

"I know that the secret mobile corps has arrived," he answered, taking a step towards the bed, "And we will be leaving."

His eyes glared at Tetsuya intently.

"But first, I will make sure that he is unable to place himself in harm's way again."

Tetsuya came to his feet and backed away, until he touched the wall and could go no further. Aizen advanced, cornering him, then raised his reiatsu until the noble could no longer move except to speak.

"Sousuke Aizen," Unohana said warningly.

"I will not harm him," Aizen said in a low, dangerous tone, "But I will put an end to his reckless behavior for the duration of his pregnancy."

"No!" gasped Tetsuya, struggling to break free, "Sousuke, don't!"

"Then promise me...give me your word that you will end this useless attempt to have my conviction overturned."

Tetsuya's jaw clenched and sweat broke out on his forehead as Aizen glared into his eyes.

"You can't, can you?" he asked softly, gathering his power, "You have a very stubborn nature. But I do not have chances to take when it comes to you and our child, Tetsuya. You may hate me for it, but I am going to stop you...one way or another."

"Sousuke...!"

"If you are speaking to give me your word that you will stop," Aizen said, touching a palm to the noble's chest, "then, by all means, go on. But if you are going to argue the point, then stop now. I won't hear it."

"You can't do this!" gasped Tetsuya, struggling harder, "Stop trying to...!"

He stiffened as a pulse of kido passed through him, leaving him unable to speak and dropping him into Aizen's arms. Aizen turned his head and spoke quietly into the unconscious noble's ear.

"You must understand, my love, for your safety and our child's, I will do anything. And I have no apologies to offer you for that. I will accept you hating me for it, even leaving me if you must. But I will not lose you and our child to death, Tetsuya. I won't allow it, even if I have to leave you unconscious until the child is born."

"I don't think that will be necessary," said Captain Unohana, "He was quite clear on how his actions might have put additional strain on his body. I am sure that he would have been more cautious, even had you not induced unconsciousness. I know that you are well meaning in this, Sousuke Aizen, but perhaps a less extreme approach with him would be advisable."

Aizen shook his head dismissively.

"I know him. He won't stop on his own. He is far too set on this. He will not listen to reason."

"Nor will you entertain for a moment that if you assisted him, he might well be able to get your conviction overturned."

"But at what cost?" Aizen said, stiffening, "I don't doubt Tetsuya's capability as a diplomat, but he is not up to this, and I won't allow it to go on."

"Then," said Unohana, fixing a calm blue eye on him, "You may want to consider at least listening to what he has to say. Perhaps then, he wouldn't need to fight you so stubbornly. You could perhaps reach agreement. But the two of you being at odds like this will not help any of you, especially your child. You might consider that and take a different path, rather than trying to overpower him, just because the two of you disagree."

"I will consider that," said Aizen, turning away, "later...when our child is born."

He looked down at Tetsuya, then back over his shoulder.

"He will be all right now?"

"Yes. His systems are in balance and should remain stable as long as he confines himself to normal activity."

"I assume you don't mean his interpretation of normal," Aizen muttered.

Captain Unohana gave a troubled sigh as she watched Aizen carry Tetsuya out of the room. She felt a flash of power and the receding of their reiatsu from the area, shook her head in frustration.

"They are both far too stubborn, I think," she muttered, as the door burst open and secret mobile corps flooded the room, "but I do not think I have ever seen a man so in love as Sousuke Aizen is right now."

Orihime nodded.

"And it's obvious too that Tetsuya is very much in love with him too. I think he can't help but want to see Sousuke Aizen freed."

"And Sousuke Aizen will stop at nothing to protect Tetsuya and their child. They are at cross purposes for now, but I think that once they are alone, they will begin to work things out."

"If he lets Tetsuya wake up," said Orihime, "He was so angry..."

"He was angry," agreed the healer, "but once he is sure that he has brought Tetsuya's reckless tendencies under control, he will listen to what Tetsuya says."

"But how will he do that?" Orihime queried, wide-eyed.

"In his own unique way, I suppose," Captain Unohana sighed.


	10. At What Cost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya struggles to cope with his containment as a mysterious man plagues his dreams.

XXXXXXXXXX

_We all want freedom...to breathe the fresh, clean air, to walk where we will, to think and act as we must. But even as we spread our wings for flight, we know that opening the door to flying brings the risk of a great fall. Freedom is flight, and flight danger. So by choosing freedom, we choose danger._

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya opened his eyes and blinked to clear his fogged vision. He found himself in an unfamiliar room, resting in a comfortable bed. But a quick assessment told him that, not only was the room surrounded by a barrier, a limiter had been placed on his powers, allowing for only enough reiatsu flow to support his pregnancy. Food and drink had been placed on the table. But although he sensed Aizen's reiatsu, the man was not in the room.

 _He is furious, of course_ , Tetsuya thought, gazing at the closed door, _I wonder if he will ever forgive me. I wonder if I can forgive myself. What if I had lost our child?_

He remembered then their forgotten nuptials...abandoned amidst his medical emergency.

_I wonder if he has reconsidered. This strikes too close to home for him. History could well have repeated itself...something I must keep in mind as I move forward from this. Sousuke Aizen entrusted his heart to me, and with my determination to do anything to clear his name, I placed his heart in danger of being broken again._

_But my own heart will not let me give this up._

_What is this drive inside me to see his name cleared? Perhaps it is as he says, and it is not necessary. But leaving things as they are means always looking over one shoulder and never letting our guard down for a moment. I don't want that for us...for our child to have to live a life in hiding. It is too much like a prison. And I have spent enough days of my life confined._

He swallowed hard, looking at the walls of the room and seeing the bars of a prison all around him. They seemed to close in on him, and the air seemed to freeze and fill with the unpleasant smells he remembered. Tetsuya wrapped his arms around himself and pulled his knees up to his chest, taking quick, panting breaths and fighting back tears. Memories loomed up in his mind, coming to life before his widened eyes and tearing at his heart.

_No! I cannot be back in this place!_

He stared at the bars all around him, willing them to turn back into the room he knew he had been in.

_Oh, kami, was I just dreaming everything? Was it all in my mind? Am I really still here? Oh gods, what is wrong with me?_

He left the bed and curled into a small corner of the room, his back pressed against the wall, and glad for the darkness around him.

_For all of those years, the corners of my cell, the cloak of darkness...those were my safety. They concealed me from the eyes of the passing guards. And I prayed that, out of sight, I would be out of their minds. But there was always one pair of eyes that could find me..._

"But he is dead now." Tetsuya whispered, "Orochi is dead now."

_Orochi's wicked laugh echoed softly through the cellblock, sending a chill through Tetsuya's thin body. He blinked back the tears that came to his eyes and shivered inwardly. Naoki's fingers entwined with his, reminding him that he was not alone. And with the touch of those gentle fingers on his, Tetsuya's tears faded instantly._

_Because when Orochi came to their cellblock, it was one of them that he came for. And if the choice was to be beaten or to know that his friend would be, Tetsuya could stomach the beatings without shedding a tear, without feeling a shred of embarrassment at crying out in pain. He would do anything for Naoki...anything._

_He heard Orochi's footsteps slow and come to a stop outside their cells. Naoki's fingers tightened on his. Their eyes met in the darkness, and Tetsuya's went wide with disbelief as he realized that the one looking back at him was not Naoki, but Sousuke Aizen._

_"Sousuke!" he gasped, staring._

_"So which one of you will it be today?" asked Orochi._

_But the voice was no longer Orochi's. The voice was different...one Tetsuya had never heard while awake, but only in his oddest dreams, whispering things to him. He had seen the man's face there, as he dreamt...his tall, slender body, shining, shoulder length brown hair accented with a simple gold circlet, finely sculpted features, light skin...and his eyes, brown...brown like..._

_"You then," the man said, "You come with me."_

_He started to unlock Aizen's cell._

_"Wait!" Tetsuya cried, stepping out of the shadows, "I will go with you!"_

_The man stopped and looked into his eyes._

_Tetsuya stared back, his heart in his throat and sickness rising in his stomach. He couldn't draw breath as the man looked at him and smiled. A soft hand reached through the bars and caressed his cheek._

_"You? You will come with me?" he asked, a strange glow emanating from his eyes and sinking down into Tetsuya's, freezing him in place, connecting the two, opening pathways that he hadn't known existed._

_Hadn't known...and couldn't have dreamed of in his worst nightmares._

_"Who are you?" he asked the man breathlessly._

_The man looked back at him, still smiling._

_"I am the one who is waiting for you. I have been with you since your first day, and I will be with you until your last. Come, now. Come with me."_

_The cell door opened, and Tetsuya stepped out, reaching out to accept the hand that the man extended in his direction. But as he moved, a strong hand wrapped around his other wrist, stopping him. Tetsuya froze between the two as both spoke to him at once. Most of the words they said were the same and spoken together._

_"You belong to me," they both said._

_But where Aizen called him by the name he knew..._

_The other man called him Mitsuru._

XXXXXXXXXX

Sousuke Aizen sat in a chair in the living area of the small safe house, brooding over the young noble who laid, entrapped within the protective barrier. He didn't spend a moment thinking that he was wrong, either in his thinking about the situation or what he had done to protect Tetsuya. What nagged at him was the sudden distance between them.

_In the years following Yasu's death, how many times did I coldly say that reliance on another person was a sign of weakness? I believed that loving Yasu, relying on him and laying the foundation of my happiness, my contentedness on our love, had been a mistake._

_But this person...this half blood from out of the ruins of an old prison made me rethink that. And now, there is no more thinking to be done. Once we laid down together in Las Noches, this child was made, and all chances to leave Tetsuya disappeared. I tried to leave him behind, yes. But our souls have been bonded together by our love, and our lives are entwined by this child. And now, it is a matter of keeping us all alive, despite the ones who would make an end to us if they could._

_Does he really think that exposing the council's corruption and using that to have my conviction overturned is going to somehow erase what I've done? I am guilty of every crime they accused me of, and a few they didn't. I deserve for them to call me a heartless bastard and to tie me in leather bindings and lock me away. I can't guarantee that I would not lie, cheat steal, maim or kill again. Doing those things is nothing to me if it protects what I hold dear._

Aizen caught his breath softly and his eyes widened.

_I think I understand..._

_When I was with Yasu, I would have done anything to protect him and our child. And when he was lost, I would have done anything to avenge him. Now, Tetsuya and our child have given me something I would give anything to protect again. Strangely, the thing that most threatens our happiness is Tetsuya's own determination to do what I thought that I could do by becoming king. While I seek to use my powers to protect directly, he seeks to end the injustice that caused Yasu's death. An admirable desire, of course, but one far too dangerous for him to pursue while he is with child. But, perhaps when our child has been born, we can finish this together. As a tribute to the one I lost, I can make certain that those same injustices do not take Tetsuya from me. Perhaps..._

His thoughts were interrupted by a terrified scream within the barrier. Aizen was on his feet instantly and flash stepping through the barrier, into the room, where he found Tetsuya shrunken into a dark corner of the room, his face buried in his hands, his curled body shaking visibly and making soft, half sobbing sounds of distress. He watched in silence for a moment, then slowly approached and knelt in front of him.

"Tetsuya," he said softly, wrapping a hand around one slender wrist to pull a hand away from his face.

He was less than prepared for the terrified howl the noble loosed, and the dull flash of protective kido, which was all that the limiter would allow him.

"Stop!" Tetsuya gasped, "You will tear me apart!"

He saw then, the senseless, glazed over, teary blue eyes and let go of the noble's wrist. Tetsuya shrank back deeper into the corner he inhabited, his eyes wide and fearful, clearly seeing something other than the calm, quiet room he was in.

"My Love, what is happening to you?"

Tetsuya's lips moved breathlessly, saying his name, then his eyes blinked slowly and began to clear. Aizen watched wordlessly as the noble continued to show increasing signs of returning cognizance...the haziness leaving his eyes, the hard shaking easing, and his hands and jaw unclenching. He remained on his knees, slumped in the corner as his slow return to his senses continued. But even once it was clear that he was fully aware again, his eyes remained lowered, and he said nothing. Aizen regarded him quietly for a time, then sighed softly.

"Are you all right now?"

A stray tear rolled down the younger man's proud cheek, but he seemed not to notice. His eyes remained fixed on some empty point in front of him and he maintained his silence. He went still and almost breathless then, frozen where he was, as though waiting for something. Aizen continued to wait and watch him, until he wondered if Tetsuya would ever move again.

He reached out again, this time slipping an arm around the younger man's shoulders. Tetsuya flinched at his touch, but didn't resist as Aizen helped him to his feet and turned him back towards the bed. He froze for a moment, staring in wonder as Tetsuya's hand reached back behind him, the fingers extended as though straining to hold on to something.

"Tetsuya?"

"Do not worry," the noble said to the non-existent person he was leaving behind, "I will come back to you."

"Come back to who?" Aizen asked, frowning and capturing the noble's face in his hands, "Tetsuya..."

Tetsuya blinked and shook his head, finally regaining full clarity. He said nothing at first, but stared into Aizen's stern expression with wet, widened eyes.

"Are you all right, now?" Aizen asked again.

Tetsuya hesitated, then gave him a tentative nod. He climbed back into the bed and quietly accepted a cup of tea, then sipped at it and set it down again. Aizen slid into the bed, beside him and Tetsuya curled readily into his arms. He closed his eyes and sighed as though in relief as Aizen's hand slipped beneath his yukata and caressed the warm baby bump on his belly.

"Sousuke, please don't be angry with me," Tetsuya whispered, catching his breath as Aizen's hand went still, and the man's brown eyes locked on his, "I can make myself tolerate being locked away like this, but I cannot bear to feel like I am alone here."

Aizen's hands cupped the younger man's face and he looked deeply into Tetsuya's sad, blue eyes.

"Tetsuya Kuchiki, you are not alone...not ever...not since the day that our souls were bound together."

He moved a hand from the noble's soft cheek and rested it on his breast, over his pounding heart.

"When you feel like you are alone, you need only look here. I am always with you, always inside you, always loving you."

"But you were so..."

"Shh," Aizen said, touching his fingers to Tetsuya's lips, "No more doubts. We begin and end with each other now. Trust in that."

"Then...you forgive me?" Tetsuya asked softly.

"For what?" Aizen asked, a gentle smirk returning to his lips, "for loving me enough to put yourself in harm's way? For wanting to protect me? For remembering what it was like to be locked away and alone, and to resist my return to that fate with all of your might? None of that needs to be forgiven, Tetsuya."

"But..."

"The only thing that angered me," Aizen went on, "and the only reason I would ever put walls around you, is that you didn't just risk yourself. You risked our child too. That is why I was angry. I admit that it angers me still. But I have taken steps to make sure you are not tempted to risk yourself again. There is no need to feel like you're being punished. I didn't do this to punish you...only to protect you and this little one you carry. And I only wasn't here when you woke, because I thought that you might despise me for locking you in here. But it seems that you only loosed your fury on yourself. I was worried for you, my love. You seemed to lose yourself."

Tetsuya lowered his eyes, a flush of self consciousness rising on his cheeks and throat.

"I am sorry about that. I don't know why that happened. I had thought that I left all of that behind. But it seems that some ghosts refuse to leave me."

"Do you remember what happened?"

Tetsuya nodded silently.

"I was back Itamigiri...in my cell. And Orochi came into the cellblock. We always knew that when he came, he was coming for Naoki or me. We each pleaded to be taken instead of the other. And after Orochi enjoyed watching that, he would take one of us away and beat us. Sometimes, he would then return for the other. In my...dream...or hallucination, Orochi came to us, but when he started to open Naoki's cell, it wasn't Naoki he was taking, it was you."

Aizen's eyes softened and he rested his face lightly against Tetsuya's as the younger man went on.

"I offered to go with him instead of you, and he turned and looked at me. Sousuke, it wasn't Orochi at all."

"Who was it?"

"I do not know him...not really. But I have heard his voice in my dreams, and sometimes when I am on the edges of sleep, I can hear him."

"What does he look like?"

"He is tall and thin...brown hair to his shoulders, with a gold circlet...like royalty. And his eyes..."

Tetsuya frowned and stopped, a pained look overtaking his face.

"Are you all right?"

Tetsuya nodded.

"It hurts when I try to remember his eyes. Sousuke, there was something about them. I was right on the verge of knowing what, when he took my hand in the dream and he started to lead me away. But you wrapped a hand around my wrist and both of you said that I belong to you. Just...you called me by different names. You called me Tetsuya, but he called me..."

Tetsuya's frown deepened.

"I cannot remember the name. But it wasn't mine. Yet, he looked at me with eyes that said that he knew me. And when he looked into my eyes, I felt my heart dying inside me. The two of you tried to pull me in different directions. My body began to break apart, and that is when I screamed and woke."

"I am sorry that you had such an awful nightmare," Aizen said, brushing his lips against a porcelain cheek, "I am here now to head off any more. Just close your eyes and rest, Tetsuya. I will stay with you."

"Arigato, Sousuke," Tetsuya whispered, closing his eyes.

He fell asleep again to the feel of his lover's warm hands caressing his pregnant belly, to the soft brushes of kisses on his lips and face, and to the sound of the only voice that he wanted to have fill his dreams.

But several times during the night, he found himself confused as Aizen's voice came and went...blending in gratingly with another.

_Who is that man?_

_Why does he haunt my dreams?_

_What does he want?_


	11. Our Dreams and our Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya's hand is forced by a chilling discovery that Yuji makes.

XXXXXXXXXX

_I will not close my eyes tonight. For in my dreams, I see our destruction. For all of our breathed promises, we have little control over our fate. It pulls us in different directions until we break apart. But oddly, even as you fade in front of me, the part of you that dwells inside me, continues to live and grow._

XXXXXXXXXX

_Mitsuru._

Tetsuya inhaled sharply and opened his eyes.

He still rested in Sousuke Aizen's arms, with his head on the other man's shoulder and their bared bodies laid against each other. He felt the telltale stickiness along his inner thighs and caught the warm scents of their lovemaking.

_It is such a relief not to feel that coldness between us. For all that Sousuke can be a very cold and ruthless person, when he knows that he has won, he lets go of the heavy emotion quickly...a good thing, now, when I need to feel his closeness. Kami...I feel like my world has come apart. I have lost my cousin, my home, most of my life. But I can rebuild._

_As long as we are together, I can make this right again._

"Tetsuya."

He barely felt the hand that touched his face, the warm lips that brushed against his.

"You are still in pain."

Strong, comforting arms embraced him and his lover's reiatsu wrapped around him, filling his senses with the beauty of their connection. Tetsuya couldn't lie in such a loving embrace and still be sad. Aizen's searching lips made his lips smile and the adoring touches on his body made him shiver softly.

"I will be all right," he assured the man who held him, "I am sorry that I worried you...both with my actions before, and just now."

"It is understandable that you would feel loss at a time like this. I have taken you from everything you know, Tetsuya. And it is not the first time that I have done that."

"But you have given me the greatest of gifts as well, Sousuke," he assured the older man, "Yes, I have left behind the family that I was born into, but you have also given me your love...and the chance to start a family of my own. Not only that, but where the rules of my clan limited me in how I could fight to defend my family, you allow me to loose all of myself in that fight. From the moment that you had me take up my sword against that Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, I knew that you respected me as a fighter...something I do not question, even though there are some battles that you have refused to allow me to fight."

Aizen met his eyes for a moment, then sighed.

"Understand, Tetsuya, that my primary reason for being forceful in stopping you was about our child. You are right to think that I very much respect both your diplomatic and fighting abilities. And perhaps if you still wish it, once our child is born, we could pursue the fight you would wage to see me cleared. But you must realize, my angel, I am guilty of every crime I was accused of. And no matter that they were corrupt, my conviction and sentence were fair, considering."

"But Sousuke," Tetsuya objected, "You must look at the other side of that. You made every attempt to follow the law, but the system that was supposed to protect your rights as a shinigami failed. You were sentenced to death before you ever did anything wrong, by a group of people who were an insult to the word, justice. Your offenses fall under the legal category of resultant offenses. These offenses may be capital crimes on the surface, but they never would have happened if the councilors of Central 46 had not overstepped the boundaries of their granted powers and violated your rights. Because of that, and because their internal corruption tainted the trial you were given, under those two precedents, your conviction must be overturned! I know the law backwards and forwards, Sousuke. They will free you. All it will take is proof that your rights were violated and a connection between the council's illegal actions and your crimes. I am almost there. I have obtained proof of corruption within the Central 46 council...and Yuji Iitoku is conducting an investigation to identify current members of the council and noble families who are a part of that."

"You have been in contact with Yuji Iitoku about this?" asked Aizen, frowning thoughtfully.

"Yes," Tetsuya admitted, "You see, when I went to his estate with Councilor Yukimura, I learned that, while everyone else has forgotten Yasu, he has not."

"Ah," Aizen said, nodding in understanding, "They were twins. It makes sense that such a connection would shield him from even that power of mine."

"Once he realized that I knew about Yasu, he shared what he knew and suggested that I investigate my cousin, Orochi and Hisoka Furukawa."

"So that is the reason that you invaded Orochi's home."

"Yes. And...when I left the cabin, I confess, I did go to Hisoka's estate as well. Sousuke, I found clear evidence of both corruption in Yasu's time, and continuing today! That is why Yuji agreed to follow up on which councilors and nobles are involved, and he is hiding the evidence that has already been gathered."

He blinked at the appreciative look that the other man was giving him.

"What?" he asked softly, "Sousuke, you were furious before when I even mentioned investigating this. Why now do you...?"

"Let me be clear," Aizen said, cupping the younger man's face with one hand, "I am still furious that you took such chances, Tetsuya, but...I find your tenacity...your relentless spirit...intoxicating. And because of that, I will make you a promise. Once you have given birth to our child, I will not interfere with your investigation. I will, in fact, assist you in whatever ways I can."

"You will?" asked Tetsuya, his eyes widening, "Sousuke...Sousuke, I don't know what to say!"

Aizen smiled.

"Then, say nothing more, for now. Devote yourself to taking care of yourself, and that lovely child that is the best of both of us, Tetsuya. Do that, and we will see to the rest after."

Tetsuya let out a trembling breath and broke into a relieved smile.

"I will, Sousuke."

He tried to say more, but found his mouth busied with deep, penetrating kisses, while his lover's hands explored his recently plundered body. They fell into another frenzied joining of their bodies as the brown eyed man watched them, where they appeared on the surface of the mirrored pool.

"This will not do," he said softly, "This will not do at all."

He whispered a command to a hell butterfly and waited, still watching the two shinigamis as their bodies writhed together and their sounds of passion rose up softly out of the pool. Several minutes later, an attendant appeared in the garden. The man bowed respectfully.

"My lord, you called for me?" he queried.

"Yes," answered the brown-eyed man, "I want you to take this file to the Seireitei. Make sure that it falls into Yuji Iitoku's hands...immediately."

He held out a hand, and a large white envelope slowly materialized there. The attendant accepted the envelope from his hand and bowed again.

"It shall be done immediately, sir," he replied.

He flash stepped away, leaving the man gazing down at where Tetsuya slept with his lovely, naked body entwined with Sousuke Aizen's. He touched the surface of the water, obscuring Aizen's face and imagining what it would be like later when...

"My lord?" said a male voice, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes, Fumio," he sighed, "What is it?"

"The council is asking for an update on the royal consort's condition."

The brown eyed man looked down at Tetsuya's tranquil sleeping face and smiled.

"Tell them that Mitsuru is still unconscious...however...he is showing signs of waking. And the heir is still alive. He is too weak to be assessed, but as soon as the birth takes place, the council may legitimate the royal heir, after which they will confirm me as, not just royal regent, but as the rightful king."

"Yes, my lord," Fumio answered, bowing, "You must be very relieved that you will finally be assured your place on the throne will be made permanent. It is only sad that Mitsuru has struggled so and may not survive the birthing."

"Yes," agreed the regent, "but I continue to hold out hope that he will awaken, and that once the strain of pregnancy leaves him, he will return to us."

"He is a kind and gentle soul," said Fumio, "I hope he gets well soon."

"I think he will," said the king, looking down at Tetsuya again, "I think that, in the end, he will surprise everyone with his will to live."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya woke to find himself alone again, but before he could register the disappointment, a hell butterfly tickled his porcelain cheek, making him smile.

 _Tetsuya_ , said Aizen's voice, _I was called away to deal with some business related issues. I will see to this and return by this evening. I have extended the barrier to include the whole of the safe house to make it more comfortable for you. I will bring dinner and dessert when I return._

Tetsuya sighed softly, relieved at the greater space he was allowed, but at the same time, frustrated that his investigation had to wait.

_I am so looking forward to a day where I can look my cousin in the eyes again, when Sousuke and I do not have to live our lives looking over our shoulders._

He smiled at the thought as he turned his attention to the food and drink that his lover had left for him. He ate slowly, then exited his bed to shower and change into a fresh yukata. He walked about the small safe house, acquainting himself with it, then settled back into the bed to rest and wait for Aizen to return. His hand strayed to the bump on his abdomen and a smile played over his face as the reiatsu flared and pulsed softly under his fingertips.

"Ah," he said, rubbing the area, then patting it gently, "You are already eager to be with us, little one."

He continued to rub his abdomen, closing his eyes and absently humming as he began to drift off to sleep again. He had nearly dropped off when he felt a soft twinge on the back of his hand, where Yuji had drawn the sigil. His eyes blinked open and he lifted his hand to look at the place where the marking was hidden. To his surprise, Yuji's voice sounded in his mind.

_Tetsuya, I know that Aizen has taken you away somewhere, and I wanted to warn you, first that Central 46 has issued reward offers for Aizen and for you. They want you alive, but they have a large bounty on him that is payable, dead or alive. You must be very cautious. And secondly, I need to tell you. Someone knows that you have been investigating the council. I think that this is why they are going to greater lengths to find you. My investigation has yielded a list of Central 46 councilors and nobles involved in this movement. But I have also uncovered evidence that points to something even larger. I dare not speak of it until we are able to meet. I am leaving my manor and warn you that it is not safe there, even in Yasu's room. Tetsuya, someone else remembers what happened before...someone powerful. We will..._

The voice left of suddenly, sending a hard shiver down Tetsuya's spine.

"Yuji..." he whispered, sitting up.

He looked at the clock, then bit his lip gently.

_Sousuke won't be back for awhile. I can send Arashi for him...but if this is bigger than Central 46...I need Byakuya._

He summoned a hell butterfly and carefully scrambled the insects sense of where it was, so that its origination point would not be readable.

"Byakuya, something very serious has arisen...something involving widespread corruption...corruption that goes beyond the boundaries of Central 46's jurisdiction. I know that you have indicated that you will not go against the law, but I have absolute proof of this corruption, and I am willing to surrender myself to you to give this information into your hands. I know that you will know what to do...and that before you allow me to face trial, you will see that things are set right again. I will contact you soon to arrange for a location for my surrender."

He swallowed hard, gazing at the hell butterfly and rubbing the baby bump on his abdomen.

_It will be all right. With what I can prove already, Byakuya will not allow them to take my baby. But we must all be careful now. By shielding me, Byakuya will be placed in danger too. I would not do that if there was any other way. But I am not a clan leader, and only a joint complaint by two clan leaders can bring about a meeting of the Royal Council. But...what if even that governing body has been corrupted?_

_Kami! This gets more dangerous by the moment..._

_But there is nothing to be gained by waiting. If those stronger than the ones in Central 46 are involved, then we will not be able to hide from this. And the longer the evidence remains with us, the more chance there is of being discovered. No...we cannot remain in hiding here. I have to go to Yuji and work with him to keep us all safe._

He glanced at the window, reaching out with his mind for Arashi. But a moment later, he launched off of the bed, backing away as a shinigami appeared outside the barrier and attacked it.

_They have found us already?_

He backed towards the door, but heard more blasts striking the barrier, at more places around the house.

"Tetsuya Kuchiki! Sousuke Aizen! We have you surrounded! Surrender now and you will both be allowed to live. Resist, and you will die!"

Tetsuya shuddered as more heavy blasts struck the house, shaking it so hard, he was nearly taken off of his feet.

_How did they find us?_

He felt an odd, suffocating feeling settle over him and risked a glance at the window. Scores of masked and cloaked shinigamis surrounded the house, and the group appeared to be working together to set a dark cloak over the barrier Aizen had set in place.

_Oh gods! They are going to just blow up the entire place!_

He took a few calming breaths and thought carefully.

_I'll have to risk the use of my advanced form, but...I have no choice. They are going to kill me and our baby if I remain here._

Tetsuya moved into the hallway, trying not to hear the heavy impact of kido blasts, the shouts coming in from outside, and the calls to surrender. He reached out to summon Re-kuhime, then froze as he remembered that his greater powers had been sealed away.

_Shades!_

He pulled himself back from the edges of panic as the ones outside shouted warnings to their own people to pull back to be safe from the explosion. His eye strayed to the hand where Yuji had drawn the sigil, and as the thunder of rising reiatsu shook the house, Tetsuya held his breath and invoked the sigil, directing himself, not towards the Iitoku manor, but at the secondary location that had been added, the childhood hiding place that Yuji and Yasu had shared. He felt a moment of vertigo as the house he was in shook and began to disintegrate around him. He felt a hard, pulling sensation, then the loud noises and heat disappeared and he crashed down heavily onto the dirt floor of the old hideout. His breath came out in a hard gasp, and he rolled to his knees, realizing that he was not alone. He struggled as someone grabbed him from behind, but relaxed again as he recognized the one holding him was Yuji.

"Tetsuya!" the other man breathed, his face pale as Tetsuya turned to look at him.

"What is happening?" Tetsuya asked, "Why did you stop speaking before?"

Yuji bit at his lips, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Tetsuya, these people...they know we were looking for proof of corruption, that we found some. Don't worry. I have concealed it here. But we must not leave this place! No one knows about this place, but if we set foot out there, we will be found. And we will not even be given a corrupt trial, Tetsuya. We will be killed immediately."

"How?" Tetsuya gasped, "Yuji, why are they doing this? What is going on?"

The Iitoku clan leader stared back at him, white-faced.

"Tetsuya, what I found out was that it isn't just Central 46 and the noble families that are involved in this movement. Tetsuya, the man behind the movement...the one who started all of this...is the regent spirit king, himself!"


	12. The Taking Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Regent King prepares to begin the endgame of his plans.

XXXXXXXXXX

All creatures have a beginning and end...a path that they walk through a lifetime. From beginning to end, I have guided your steps...both walking away and now returning. Body, heart and mind, you belong to me. All that is left is for you to remember...

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey," said Renji, placing a restraining hand on Byakuya's shoulder as the raven-haired captain approached the burned out house, "Why don't you let me do that? I know his reiatsu. I can sense if he was here."

Byakuya's lips tightened for a moment, but then relaxed again. He nodded briefly and watched as Renji flash stepped away.

_You cannot have died here, Tetsuya. I refuse to believe that you would die this way...pregnant and alone, running from Central 46, accused of capital crimes and facing the taking of your child, imprisonment, perhaps execution. And that you face all of this because of him..._

_Unacceptable._

_Unbearable._

_Unforgivable!_

_Sousuke Aizen will die for this...if he isn't dead already!_

"Captain," said Renji, drawing him out of his thoughts.

Byakuya's eyes met his, looking for some sign of what he would say. A chill went through him, but he swallowed hard and made himself speak.

"What did you find, Abarai?"

The next thing he knew, he was being turned away from the wreckage of the house and moved to the privacy of a small copse of trees nearby.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, frowning.

"I needed to talk to you without anyone hearing," Renji said quietly.

"Tetsuya...he is...?"

His eyes widened as Renji disappeared and Sousuke Aizen appeared in front of him. He attacked immediately, only to find that his powers had been sealed away and his sword was gone from his hip. The other man's hands tightened around the furious clan leader's wrists and Aizen's voice hissed scathingly in his ear.

"Don't think of trying to escape me. My illusions surround you now. No one even knows you are gone. Renji will probably sense it soon, but we will be gone by then."

"Where are we going?" Byakuya snapped angrily, "Where have you taken my cousin?"

"I don't know where Tetsuya is," said Aizen, "but although he was here before the explosion, I could find no sign of him in the wreckage. That means that he escaped. I want you to help me find him."

"You are crazy if you think that I would ever help you!" seethed Byakuya, "I don't care that you have wrapped my naive cousin's pure heart around your lying, manipulating fingers. I am not naive, and I will die before I ever help you!"

"You can die if you want," Aizen said, wrapping Byakuya's wrists in kido ropes, then hoisting him onto Arashi's back, "But you will die after we have found Tetsuya. Something strange is going on, Byakuya...something far too big for Tetsuya to handle."

"And what makes you so certain?" asked the furious noble, "The word went out everywhere that you were alive and that Tetsuya was wanted for aiding you and carrying your baby. He has been dishonored beyond redemption, and come hell or high water, I will make you pay for my cousin's lost reputation!"

"I am more concerned with Tetsuya's life, at the moment," Aizen said coldly, "Now, do hang on. If you fall off, I won't come back and pick you up off of the ground. The only reason I bothered with you is because I intercepted a message that Tetsuya was trying to send to you."

"What?"

"The message was that he had absolute proof of corruption of the Central 46 council and he was going to surrender to you."

"What? How do you know this? How did you stop a hell butterfly he sent to me? Sousuke Aizen...!"

"After we escaped Orihime's apartment, I knew that Tetsuya would still be determined to follow up on clearing my name. He was trying to prove corruption of the Central 46 council, and he was attempting to..."

"...find evidence linking the corruption of the council some time in the past, and link it to something that happened to you in your teen years. He mentioned that."

"But the wording of his message to you indicates that he uncovered more than just past corruption. There is continued corruption on the Central 46 council now...and he feared that it went even higher than that."

Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Sousuke, Aizen...higher than the Central 46 council? Beyond that is the king's own council!"

"Or the king, himself," suggested Aizen.

"Why would the spirit king bother with you when you were nothing but a teen, Aizen?" Byakuya demanded, "I think you overestimate your own importance!"

"Perhaps," said Aizen, nudging Arashi into a gallop, "but you should wait to form your judgments until we have found Tetsuya. Now, do you have any sense of him in any direction?"

Despite his fury, Byakuya reached out with his senses

"I sense nothing...no sign of him."

"You are very sure?" asked Aizen, curling an arm around his waist and holding him firmly as Arashi charged ahead, "Because I do not sense him either, despite using several methods of tracking him."

"Why didn't you just ask Arashi?" sneered the noble, "Or did he refuse to tell you?"

"Arashi knows how important it is for me to find Tetsuya before harm comes to him, but all he could sense was a short flash of reiatsu in the area of the Iitoku mansion. That is where we are headed."

"And why did you bother with me, Sousuke Aizen?" Byakuya asked, relaxing somewhat, "With Arashi, you didn't need me to find him. You know that...so..."

"Tetsuya was going to surrender himself to you," Aizen reminded him, "He wouldn't have done that unless he needed you for something...something he thought that he could convince you to do. I want you to think, Byakuya. What would he need you to do in the case of finding such corruption as he seemed to have found?"

"Corruption so bad that it went beyond Central 46...perhaps into the Royal council, or to the king, himself," mused Byakuya.

"And he was working with Yuji Iitoku," added Aizen.

"What?"

"I said he was working with Yuji Iitoku," Aizen repeated, "Yuji had a brother who was killed by Central 46, years ago."

Byakuya frowned.

"I know he has claimed this in the past, but there is no record..."

"There is no record, because I concealed it. Byakuya, Yasu Iitoku, not only existed, but he uncovered corruption in the Central 46 council all of those years ago. And, like Tetsuya, he sought to expose it. But they killed him before he could."

"And you concealed this?" noted Byakuya, "Why?"

"To protect his family from dishonor," Aizen explained, "Yasu and I were lovers. He did what he did to try to protect me when Central 46 tried to quietly murder me to keep my powers from manifesting."

"Hmmm," muttered the noble, "Well, judging by your criminal record, I would say that they had you pegged right, didn't they?"

Aizen pulled Arashi up so suddenly that the stallion reared and neighed loudly. Aizen dragged Byakuya off of the stallion's back and threw him roughly to the ground.

"Wh-what are you doing?" gasped the noble, "I thought that you..."

He went silent as Aizen's fist gripped the front of his uniform, and he was unceremoniously dragged to his feet.

"Let go of me, you bastard!" yelled Byakuya.

Aizen yanked him closer, so that their faces were nearly touching.

"Don't you dare suggest to me that I was tainted as a mere child!" he hissed, his reiatsu flaring, "That council sentenced me to death when I had never even dreamed of hurting anyone! When all I dreamed of was someday being powerful enough to enter the Gotei 13 like everyone else! I had no schemes against anyone, and no reason to bear hatred towards those men! But they tried to have me killed, and when Yasu threatened to expose them for it, they loosed their hatred on him too! He helped me to escape them, and Yasu was pregnant with my child when they found us and they murdered him, Byakuya! I have every reason to hate them, and anyone who was a part of that group, and to make anyone who would take Tetsuya and our baby from me burn in the flames of hell! Nothing and no one is going to stop me from reaching him and protecting him. And if you are not going to help me to find him, then you are of no use to me!"

He shoved Byakuya forcefully to the ground and turned back towards Arashi. He started to mount the stallion, but stopped as Byakuya's voice reached him from behind.

"A meeting of the Royal Council," Byakuya said quietly.

"What?" snapped Aizen.

"You said that he was working with Yuji Iitoku, ne?"

"Yes."

"It takes a joint complaint by two clan leaders to force the meeting of a Royal Council," Byakuya explained.

Aizen stepped away from the stallion and glared down at the noble, who still sat where he had fallen on the ground.

"If we find Tetsuya and he shows you what proof he has, will you join with Yuji Iitoku to force a meeting of that council?" he asked shortly.

"If Tetsuya has compelling evidence, then yes," promised the clan leader, "But, Aizen, you must understand...if the corruption has infected the ranks of the Royal Council, or if the regent king, himself, is involved in this..."

"Then, we are all dead anyway. Is that what you are going to tell me?" Aizen said coldly, "Well, let them try to kill me. They sent others to do their dirty work and kill me before, and they didn't come close. Let us see how they do, facing me directly!"

Byakuya started to reply, but had his breath taken away as Aizen grabbed him and slung him across Arashi's back. He climbed up behind the noble and pulled him close as the stallion squealed and exploded into flash steps.

XXXXXXXXXX

"The king is involved in this?" repeated Tetsuya, his sapphire eyes going wide and haunted.

He let out a stunned breath, and his hand moved to soothe the baby's reiatsu as it stirred uncomfortably.

"Are you all right?" Yuji asked quickly, helping him into a chair.

Tetsuya bit at his lips, closing his eyes against the unnerving flickers of pain.

"I will be all right. It was just a shock to hear that. I wasn't expecting...Yuji, how do you know this?"

The Iitoku clan leader produced a large, white envelope from his robes and removed a folder from inside it.

"I had trusted friends researching this for me, and this came back through the network, just before I contacted you. I don't know which of my associates found it. We made it that way so that we could not betray each other. Anyway, as you can see, it is a confidential roster kept by someone in the upper ranks of the hierarchy of this movement. And there are further listings of who is useful for what tasks, as well as where loyalties might be divided. And look, here in the back. There is a report on your movements. Whoever was keeping this file knew that you and I were working together and that you had this sigil on your hand."

"Oh, kami!" exclaimed Tetsuya, paling, "Does that mean that they can find us here?"

"No," Yuji assured him, "Because, remember, I never actually told you where this is. It will be impossible for them to find us here. But...I will ask that you not look out the windows or go outside. We don't know how we were monitored before, so they may be watching us still. But our reiatsu has been carefully concealed. As long as we don't do anything to give ourselves away..."

"Arashi!" Tetsuya gasped, coming to his feet, "I speak to Arashi using a mental relay. I gave him a direction."

"So the ones who search for us may be in the area, but that doesn't mean that they will find us, Tetsuya. Come, let me take you into the hideout."

"What?" queried the noble. looking confused, "I thought that this..."

Yuji looked around the dusty room and smiled.

"This?" he said, shaking his head, "This is just the entry. Come this way."

He led Tetsuya to the back of the dark, dusty room, then found a catch hidden in the wall, that opened a hidden doorway in front of them. Tetsuya shook his head in awe, following Yuji through the entrance and down a stone stairway, into a small, fully furnished living area.

"When you said 'hideout,' I had no idea!" exclaimed Tetsuya, "This is amazing!"

"It's kind of dusty from lack of use," Yuji said, looking around, "but I brought some food and drink, and there are two bedrooms. We used to come out here sometimes when we got tired of all of the rules and boring things we were made to do. Yasu was a great believer in everyone needing to get away and relax sometimes, even future clan leaders."

"You sound like you were as close as Byakuya and me," commented Tetsuya, looking into one of the bedrooms.

He walked inside, studying it as Yuji continued to talk out in the main room.

"Yasu had a great imagination...so great that it frightened him sometimes. He would get so into the games we would play...hiding out from bad guys and searching for ancient treasures...pretending to be gypsy's who had no rules to follow, but their own...making believe that the world outside had ended and all we had left was each other...hiding from wicked plotters, out to steal the secrets we kept hidden..."

"It sounds wonderful," Tetsuya observed, moving on to the next bedroom.

Yuji followed him into the room.

"This is where I stored the files we want hidden," he informed the noble, "This was my room.

Tetsuya frowned, wondering what it was about the two rooms that seemed slightly odd. He studied Yuji's room carefully, then moved back to Yasu's and looked it over again. Then, he walked out to the living area.

"What is it?" asked Yuji, stepping out of his room.

"When was the last time that you and Yasu were here?" Tetsuya asked, looking back at Yasu's room.

"Oh, not since we were kids," said the clan leader, shaking his head. I came back to the hideout, but couldn't make myself come all the way down here...not with the ghost of him lingering about, you know? And no one believing me? They said it wasn't good for me to have reminders. I was worried that if I was seen coming here, that my parents would find the place and demolish it or something. Why do you ask?"

"Someone was here...a long time ago, but...in that room," Tetsuya said with certainty.

The two exchanged glances and walked back into the other bedroom together.

"You are right," Yuji said softly, his face lighting, "Tetsuya...I think it was him! Yasu was here! It was a long time ago, but...but why would he...?"

He broke off as Tetsuya began to search the room, then caught his breath in realization and joined him.

"Here!" he cried, calling Tetsuya to his side, "This is where he hid all of our secrets, when we were children!"

He touched a hidden switch, and a door popped open in a shaded corner of the wall. Yuji reached inside and removed several thick binders and folders. The two sat down on the bed and began to study them. As the words on the pages struck Tetsuya's eyes, the noble's sapphire eyes filled with heartbroken tears.

"This is it," he whispered, "This is what we were searching for. It makes the last connection. It is proof that members of the council conspired to kill any children with the beginnings of transcendent powers. It proves what they did to Sousuke...and to other children! Yuji..."

The Iitoku clan leader took the papers from Tetsuya's trembling hands and read them silently. He studied the binders and folders briefly, then curled an arm around Tetsuya as the younger man dissolved into tears.

"Tetsuya..." he said softly.

"What good is it now?" Tetsuya sobbed, "If this goes to the Royal Council...if it goes to the king..."

Yuji captured Tetsuya's tearstained face in his hands.

"At least we know."

"But what good will it do?" Tetsuya managed in a devastated voice, "Sousuke was right. I should never have tried to..."

"Tetsuya, no..."

"I brought this all on!"

"You searched for the truth. You wanted to free him. You had only the best of intentions," Yuji said reassuringly, "And you brought me peace, after years of being told that I had no brother. Tetsuya, what you did was...amazing! It was..."

"It doesn't matter," Tetsuya, "Because, in the end it is only going to get us all killed!"

He collapsed against Yuji, his body shaking and tears running down his face.

The two fell silent, Yuji holding Tetsuya against him and his mind working.

_The program was to terminate any shinigami who evidenced transcendent powers, before those powers manifested. But why would the king and all of these conspirators do that?_

His mind went back to the story of the regent king's rise to the throne...the deaths of the former monarch and consort...the fact that no one had ever known the fate of the unborn heir. He swallowed hard as a suspicion came to him, and caught Tetsuya's face in his hands again.

"What is it?" asked the noble, blinking and wiping his tears away, "Yuji...?"

"Tetsuya, you know the story of how the current king was set upon the throne, ne?"

"Of course," said Tetsuya, "But what does that...?"

He paused as the soft thrum of pounding hooves sounded outside.

"Arashi!" Tetsuya said, coming to his feet.

"No, wait!" insisted Yuji, grabbing the gathered materials and placing them all back in the hidden opening.

He laid a hand on Tetsuya's chest, loosing the full strength of his powers.

"Summon your blade, just in case," Yuji warned him, "I want you to leave any fighting to me, if you can. If there is trouble, then just run, Tetsuya. You have to protect yourself and that baby! You understand why, ne?"

Tetsuya met his eyes with understanding and nodded.

"If things go wrong and we are lost, you need to survive to keep the hopes of any kind of justice alive!"

Tetsuya called Re-kuhime to his hand and fell in behind Yuji as they moved towards the stairs. They slipped noiselessly out of the hidden area and back into the dusty entry. The hoofbeats stopped and Tetsuya heard a soft neigh, then heard someone dismount and call his name.

"Carefully," Yuji warned him.

Tetsuya crept to the door and looked out, then breathed a sigh of relief and opened it to admit the two.

"Sousuke!" he half sobbed, falling into Aizen's, "Sousuke, I am sorry! This is all my fault! All of it!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The regent king smiled and reached out to touch Tetsuya's face, where it appeared on the pool's surface.

"Very good. Well played, Tetsuya. I knew that I could count on you."

He turned to his two guardsmen and nodded.

"Go now," he ordered them, "Destroy everything. Take care of any loose ends."

He turned back to look into the pool again.

"Leave only Tetsuya and his baby unharmed."

He waited as the men left, then flash stepped up onto the balcony outside his bedroom. He stepped inside and sat down at the bedside of a young man who bore a striking resemblance to the young, Kuchiki half-blood.

"Mitsuru," he said softly, "Our time is at an end. But even after all you have done for me, I have one more thing to ask..."

He quietly detached all of the medical tubes and wires, turning off the machines that had kept the young man and his baby alive. His hand crept to Mitsuru's slightly swollen belly, and the king's eyes softened and saddened as he felt their two life forces fade.

"I am sorry. This cannot be helped. But, I know that you would forgive me. There is no other way."

He gathered the nearly lifeless body of the consort into his arms and flash stepped out of the room, and in the direction that his guardsmen had taken.


	13. Devil With an Angel's Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Regent King acts to destroy all evidence of his actions, and to take Tetsuya with him.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Darkness that ends the day, death that ends life, you are the lovely deceiver. Those who look upon your face, but once, are lost...drawn into your delicate web and devoured, while looking into your eyes and loving the demon that destroys them._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Come inside, quickly!" Yuji urged Aizen and Byakuya, his eye falling warily on the man who had been his brother's lover.

Aizen's arms remained tightened around Tetsuya, but his eyes strayed to Yuji's, studying him quietly.

"I am so glad you are safe," Tetsuya whispered against Aizen's reassuring lips as the two exchanged relieved kisses, while the two clan leaders observed them in silence.

"Of course I am," Aizen chided him, "I wasn't going to allow myself to be captured."

He lifted the younger man off his feet.

"Your reiatsu is egregiously low again, though that is probably to be expected, considering,"

"His situation has been inordinately stressful," noted Yuji, "But bring him back downstairs and we can restore him while we talk."

He glanced at Tetsuya.

"There has been a development in our investigation that I think you want to know about."

He led the others back down into the living area. Aizen sat down on the sofa, holding Tetsuya against him as Byakuya began to infuse his cousin with reiatsu and Yuji left to gather the evidence they had collected.

"As you can see," Yuji explained, laying out the pages and referring to them as he spoke, "these documents are internal memos and communiqués sent between councilors and some are letters penned by noble relatives of councilors from the time in which my brother, Yasu, served as a councilor. Some of these are his, and show that he was not aware, at first, of the policies regarding young shinigamis with transcendent powers. At this point," he said, pointing to a report, "you can see that he gave the information regarding a young man with an illusion type zanpakutou to the council. This zanpakutou and shinigami were identified by the makeup of his spirit particles, which as you know, are different for every shinigami, much like a fingerprint in humans."

"And that," said Byakuya, "is clearly identifiable as Sousuke Aizen's spirit particle makeup. After the betrayal, it was described to all of the seated officers to help us in identifying him."

"These documents and this internal roster show that, in the time of my brother, there was a secret policy set by certain councilors and supported by several high ranking nobles, to secretly eliminate any young shinigamis displaying a potential for transcendent powers. And over here is the secret order to terminate Sousuke Aizen. His name was different then, but they also identified him in the notice by his spirit particle readout, and so it is clear that Aizen is the person they were talking about."

"But there is more," Tetsuya added, "Among the documents hidden here by Yasu, before his death, is another secret order, making it a priority to find and terminate Sousuke, again, identified by his spirit particle makeup. It notes that this was an executive order, meaning, of course, that it originated in the spirit dimension, either through the king or Royal Council. We do not know which, because these orders do not always identify that."

"But it is disturbing that such an order was given from an executive level," said Byakuya, his eyes growing troubled, "But if all of this is true, what was the goal? I know that the regent king that rules now was seated just before the original order you showed me, that targeted youths possessing transcendent powers. It makes me wonder if he might not have been taking pre-emptive measures to maintain peace by avoiding the development of anyone who could even remotely, possibly become a challenge to him. As you know, a regent has limited powers."

"And the only way that a regent becomes the rightful king is by proving himself through use of the king's prism. He must either submit himself to the trial of the prism and risk death if he proves unworthy, or he must produce an heir that the prism accepts. This regent has not undergone the trial of the prism, but has made numerous attempts to birth an heir. Unfortunately, his consort has, as yet, been unable to give birth to a living child. And his health has broken down to the point where it is doubtful that even the child he carries will be born alive."

"That suggests he might have a certain amount of desperation to birth a worthy heir," said Byakuya, "But how does Aizen fit into all of this?"

"You know the history of the royal family," Yuji said, nodding as all present indicated an affirmative, "The last king's consort before Mitsuru, the one bonded to the last actual king, was abducted and killed. But no sign was found, indicating the fate of the heir."

"But the policy that secretly appeared in Yasu's time," said Aizen, "suggests that the regent king was worried that the heir could still be alive. So, all young shinigamis that might have been the heir, identified by their powers, were ordered executed, ne?"

"Yes," affirmed Yuji, "I believe that is why you were targeted for termination. But...what we need to know, is if you might be the missing heir...which brings us to this order, which appeared in an envelope that one of my secret associates sent to me this morning. This secret order identifies the spirit particle makeup parameters that the heir would have, based on examinations done before the former consort was taken. To know if Sousuke Aizen might be the lost heir, we only need compare Yasu's original report with this order."

He held the two next to each other, and the group of four went silent for several long moments.

"A perfect match," Byakuya said finally, his face pale, "The regent king was trying to make sure the rightful heir never returned."

Yuji turned his eyes on Aizen, who met them quietly, with all emotion he might be feeling carefully concealed.

"I know in full detail, the hatefulness in your heart, Sousuke Aizen. I understand the capability you have for being cold, heartless and ruthless. But despite my personal feelings, you are the rightful heir to the throne. And that means that it is the duty of the noble lords to protect you and to see that you are placed upon the throne..."

His eyes moved to Tetsuya, who rested quietly in Aizen's arms.

"...and to see that your consort and heir are not harmed," he finished.

"There is one question that has not been answered," said Aizen, looking down at Tetsuya's troubled face, "And that is...who are the two men who have been following Tetsuya, and why have they been following?"

"These men have appeared several times," explained Tetsuya, "the most recent, when Orochi abducted me, and was attacking me. It was one of these men who killed Orochi."

"But no sign of them was found at the scene," stated Byakuya.

"Meaning," said Yuji, "that these may have been royal guardsmen or members of the regent king's hogosha...his elite protectors. They could easily conceal themselves that way."

"But they weren't trying to kill Tetsuya," noted Aizen.

"It makes sense," Yuji said softly, his eyes focusing on Tetsuya again, "if what he wanted...was to abduct a rightful heir to pass off as his own!"

"Then, we need to force a meeting of the Royal Council," said Byakuya, "to expose this plot and place the proper heir on the throne."

He glared at Aizen.

"Even though, like you, I have my doubts about his suitability. My personal feelings do not matter in this. My duty is clear."

"But," said Yuji darkly, "if you look at all of the information we have uncovered, you will see that although the perpetrators in the Seireitei have all been exposed, there is nothing here to tell us who, among the royal councilors can be trusted and who is with the king. We would be going in blind."

The four went quiet again. Tetsuya sighed softly and lifted his head, meeting Aizen's weary eyes.

"I am sorry, Sousuke. When I set out to expose what was happening, I never..."

"You couldn't have known the lengths to which these people have gone, or the seriousness of what you were uncovering," Aizen said, shaking his head.

"But, I put us in this situation..."

"No," Byakuya said softly, "the regent king and his supporters brought us to this. Tetsuya, even had you not investigated this, he would have moved against you."

"But he went to so much trouble to keep it quiet," said Tetsuya, "He might have just taken me, once he knew I was pregnant, and no one would have been the wiser for it."

"But he wanted to make sure that there were no loose ends," said Aizen, "So, to corner me, he needed a way to see to my death without arousing suspicion.."

"He was likely overjoyed when I began to investigate this," Tetsuya said miserably.

"And I would imagine," said Yuji, "that some of the information we found along the way was planted for us to find...to string us along."

Aizen's eyes darkened suddenly, and he came to his feet, making Tetsuya pull away and stare at him with wide, anxious eyes.

"What is it, Sousuke?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"Don't you understand?" he said in a low, dangerous voice, "His men have been watching over Tetsuya...and he has been stringing us along all of this time to tease us into gathering all of this information, but what he has been waiting for is this!" he hissed, pointing at the evidence Yasu had gathered, "This is what would be a threat, if any future child of my body found it!"

"And now," said Byakuya, meeting Tetsuya's frightened eyes, "he has us and all of the evidence against him, gathered in one place!"

"Sweet kami!" gasped Yuji, his face going sheet-white.

Aizen's eyes closed, and instantly, a heavy shield snapped into place around them. He reached for Tetsuya, to pull him onto his feet, then stared in shock as his hand wrapped around the noble's slender wrist, and Tetsuya's body exploded into a splash of water.

"Damn you!" Aizen roared, his reiatsu rising dangerously, as the other two men reacted to Tetsuya's sudden disappearance.

"How did he...?" Yuji began.

"The king," said Byakuya, gripping the arm of the sofa and coming to his feet, "even though he is a regent, can command any zanpakutou's power..."

He looked into Aizen's furious eyes.

"...except that of the rightful king," Yuji finished.

"Byakuya," Aizen said, his voice going dead calm, "I will need you and Yuji to add your power to mine."

The other two men moved at once, and all three took up defensive positions around the gathered evidence. The room rumbled as destructive reiatsu gathered all around them. The three men took each other's hands and forced all of their power into the shielding around them. The rumbling increased, rising into a terrifying roar, making the men's joined hands grip harder. All three stared with intense eyes, throwing all of their power into the shield as the regent king's power joined with that of his guards, and loosed itself on the thee in the hideout.

They kept their eyes locked, each man determined, no more fear in their eyes, but stern resolve, as the power around them crested, then came down upon their shielding with a fury that threatened to tear them apart, and turned the air to liquid fire. Light flared all around them, lighting them in blood red for one long moment. Then everything around them went suddenly and impenetrably black.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya gasped as he felt the pull that took him out of the hideout and into a waterform outside. He registered immediately that he was already in kido bindings, and tried to shift back to where he had been.

"It is no use," said a voice that chilled the young noble to the core, "I destroyed the originating waterform, so you cannot go back."

"But...I didn't set a waterform outside!" objected Tetsuya.

"No," said the man kneeling next to him, "You did not. I did."

"What? That was my power! You...!"

He stopped himself, staring at the man disbelievingly.

"You're the regent king!" he managed in a shocked voice, "You were the one in my dreams!"

"Yes, that was me...my face, my voice that spoke to you. I have been with you, watching you carefully, all along, Tetsuya."

"But you called me..."

"Lie quietly," the king told him, quickly sealing away his powers.

_Arashi, help me!_

"He won't come to you," the king said calmly.

Tetsuya's eyes widened and grew tormented as he spotted his stallion's collapsed form in the distance.

"Arashi!" Tetsuya sobbed, "Is he...?"

"No," the king assured Tetsuya, touching his face lightly and sending his mind into a dizzying spin, "He is alive. To harm him would harm you. And I do not want you to be harmed. You are the greatest among my servants, Tetsuya Kuchiki. I would not be able to take my place as rightful king without you. Lie still, now. There is just one more thing to do before we go."

Tetsuya watched in horror as the king and his two guardsmen moved out of the trees and took up positions around the hideout

_Sousuke!_

Tetsuya froze as the king's voice spoke into his mind.

_He cannot hear you._

"Sousuke!" Tetsuya screamed, fighting the kido that had dulled his senses, "Sousuke!"

White light flared around the young noble's body as the king and guardsmen raised their reiatsu and took aim on the hideout.

"No mistakes now," said the king to his men, "I want everything in that place destroyed."

As the hot, white flare of his own core life force erupted around him, Tetsuya saw one of the guardsmen drag a body over to the entrance of the hideout, placing it carefully, then retreating and joining his power with the others'

"NO!" screamed Tetsuya, shattering the seal on his powers and rolling to his feet.

Re-kuhime appeared in his hand and he charged at the regent king's back. He bore down on the man in desperate flash steps, loosing his ban kai and firing a hail of ice blades ahead of him. His blue eyes went wide as the king and guardsmen's power exploded from their hands and closed on the small hideout.

_I have to reach him._

_I must..._

_end this now._

The first of his ice blades touched the regent's back, then blew apart, as a shockwave from the blast ahead of them threw Tetsuya down and passed over him with a mind-numbing roar. The noble screamed in pain as heat flashed through his body. He screamed Aizen's name again, blinking as the blast dissipated, leaving behind what looked to be a dark, black hole. smoke and burned paper filled the air as Tetsuya's lungs seized, and he loosed a howl of utter devastation.

An arm wrapped around him and the king pulled him close, stunning him gently and setting a stronger seal on his powers.

"Be calm now, Tetsuya," he said quietly, "We are going home now. I promise that I will explain everything to you when we get there."

Tetsuya reached out desperately as he was carried through the royal senkaimon and into the spirit dimension, grasping at any sign of the reiatsu of any the others.

_I can't sense them!_

_Not Yuji, nor Byakuya, nor Sousuke...nor even my own Arashi!_

_It's like they have all just disappeared!_

_They can't be gone._

_They can't be gone._

_They can't be..._


	14. The Unblinding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya learns the truth about the regent king's treachery, but at a terrible price.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Some truths were not meant to be borne by the heart, and some sights should never be seen. But my eyes were unblinded to my own wretched face, and the truth leaves my heart in pieces._

XXXXXXXXXX

_Why can't I move?_

_I cannot even open my eyes! I don't know if I am still breathing. What did he do to me?_

_Sousuke? Byakuya? Arashi? Yuji? What is their fate? And who was that man that they...?_

"Tetsuya?"

_My mind screams, but I cannot make a sound!_

"I will free you from the kido field. But you must remain calm once I do. Remember the life that grows inside you. You do not want to allow the intensity of your emotions to cause you to miscarry.

_This child may be all that is left._

"Yes, think of your child. Think of your child and listen carefully. When I wake you, you will get up slowly. The stasis has left you weakened, and you may feel light-headed. You will say nothing to anyone who speaks to you. You will only speak to me, and only when we are alone. You will respond with your eyes when you are called Mitsuru. You will not respond, in any way, to your given name after this.

_That man, then! That was Mitsuru? That is the man he wants me to pretend to be? They said that Mitsuru was his consort...pregnant and not expected to deliver a living child. This is it, then? He abducted me so that he could legitimate himself as king?_

"Be warned," said the king's soft voice, "I hear your thoughts...Mitsuru. I have been able to see your surroundings and to hear your thoughts all along."

_Which is how you knew all that we were about._

"Yes. I admit, I knew everything. And if you will follow my instructions, I will take you somewhere where you will be able to restore yourself...a healing pool, where you may replenish your reiatsu and rest quietly. Come, Mitsuru. Just...remember my warnings."

Tetsuya fought to still his thoughts, but couldn't help wondering.

_What will he do to me after this child is born?_

"Open your eyes, Mitsuru," the king said softly, "Come back to me."

Tetsuya felt the retreat of the kido field, and life roared painfully back into his body. He gasped and forgot about not speaking, but found that he could not utter a word.

_I cannot have you giving me away._

He opened his eyes and looked up into the regent king's brown eyes and solemn face, seeing, at once, the similarity.

 _Well, we are related_ , the king's voice said in his mind, _It makes sense that there would be similarities, ne?_

The king's hands were warm and gentle as they helped him to sit up. Instantly, stars danced in front of his eyes, and Tetsuya blinked and shook his head to clear it. As they faded, he found himself in a large, richly decorated room, in a huge, canopied bed. The door to the room opened, and the king's healer walked in. He stopped in his tracks, staring at Tetsuya, who looked back at him blankly.

"H-he has awakened, my lord?" the man gasped.

"Yes, Hideo," the regent said, smiling widely, "I told you that he had been improving. I am concerned that he is not speaking as of yet..."

He glanced warningly at Tetsuya.

"And that he seems not to recognize much but my face. I am taking him to the healing pool, and when we return to the palace, I want you to conduct a full examination."

"Of course, my lord," the healer said, bowing.

"And Hideo, I want us to be given our privacy," the king went on, "I know that many people will want to see and question him about every little thing, but Mitsuru has endured too much, and I will not have anyone causing him to relapse."

"You are wise to protect him from such stresses, my lord," affirmed the healer, "I will inform the guards not to allow you to be disturbed."

"Thank you, Hideo," said the monarch, leading Tetsuya out of the room.

Tetsuya tried to catch glimpses of himself in the mirrored surfaces around him, wondering if it was an illusion that people saw when they looked at him, or if his face had been changed while he was incapacitated. He shivered, unsure even how much time might have passed since the confrontation with the king in the Seireitei.

_You slept through the night, the king's voice answered inside his mind, I was worried at the state you were in and felt it was too dangerous for your child to leave you like that._

Tetsuya couldn't help but think the question, but he didn't dare ask it directly.

_Are they...?_

The king's fingers touched his hand lightly.

_Think of other things, Mitsuru. Do not dwell of the unpleasant past. We have a lovely future...with this child, and the others you will give me. I am blessed to have you with me, my Mitsuru._

He tried to look into a mirror as they passed it, and slid to a stop, staring.

_That is not my face! What did he do to me?_

His heart pounded oddly, and he began to feel dizzy again.

"Be calm," the kind said, wrapping an arm around him to provide support, "I promise, I will tell you everything, as soon as we reach the healing pool."

Tetsuya leaned against him, accepting the arm around him quietly, and fighting the questions that kept giving his thoughts away. Whatever the regent might have heard or sensed, he remained silent until they had reached the entrance to the gardens. Tetsuya looked up as they left the palace and entered the gardens, unable to help being awed by such beauty as he had never seen before.

_I hadn't even dared to dream of such a place. Me, a half-peasant noble, allowed to set foot in the king's gardens? I never thought this could be._

"But this is not your first time in this place," the king told him quietly, "Look down into the healing pool, and see the truth."

Tetsuya gazed down at the surface of the water, frozen with astonishment, then devastation as the truth appeared before his eyes and played out in full detail on the calm, quiet surface of the mirrored healing pool.

 _You see_ , the king's voice whispered into his shocked mind, _There are reasons for everything that has happened. It began with the former king, a powerful man, but my father's line was stronger. He only did not rule because my cousin's father, Eiji, was born sooner. So, he was given the throne and married and impregnated his queen, Takara. My father secretly loved Takara. And he couldn't bear to watch as she prepared to give birth to his less worthy cousin's child. He spirited her away and tried to convince her to join with him to overthrow the king. Unfortunately, she resisted him, and when she threatened to expose him, he panicked. He struck her too hard and she died because of it. But...as life was leaving her, 'he' was born. She looked at him only that once, and then she died. He thought he should kill the infant prince, but having lost the one he loved, he couldn't bear to do it. He gave the child to one of his guardsmen and ordered him to drown the child. The man failed to do so. He instead slipped into the king's garden and placed the child in this pool...speaking the incantation that sent his soul into the cycle of rebirth...there to be born as a shinigami...and later to be renamed Sousuke Aizen._

_My father did not know the man had defied him, and he returned to the king and quietly assisted him in investigating the queen's abduction and death. He hid the truth easily, but when Eiji died and the king's prism rejected him, he died as well, leaving me at eighteen, the regent king. I have not used the prism to test myself. I devised another way to seek full control of the crown. I went to the book of lives and I stole a glance at the pages...and I learned of what that guardsmen did._

Tetsuya caught his breath softly.

 _No one is allowed to use the Book of Lives for his own purposes!_ he objected.

_I could not find where the infant's soul went after entering the cycle of rebirth._

Tetsuya met the man's brown eyes darkly.

_So you initiated Central 46's policy of testing powerful children and executing the ones who could be the prince!_

The regent king smiled.

 _I did_ , he admitted, _and when Yasu Iitoku tested that one teen boy, I knew. I ordered his execution. As you know, it did not happen according to my plans. Yasu, unfortunately got in the way, and he was killed. I knew that I needed to find a way to reach the prince, and to do so quietly, so as he darkened and turned to wicked purposes, I sought the one thing that could pass through his defenses, the one person who would slip easily into his heart...the one meant to be his consort._

 _Me?_ Tetsuya's mind whispered.

_In a manner of speaking. You see, had he actually become king, Mitsuru would have been his consort. I thought that if anyone could reach him and set him up to die, his own fated consort could. I brought Mitsuru close to me, and I planned to use him that way. But I fell for him, as my father had fallen for Eiji's bride...and I instead married Mitsuru, one I loved for his pure heart and kind nature. I thought that I could make an acceptable heir with him, and I sought the approval of the king's prism. But each child we made was stillborn, and with each loss, Mitsuru's gentle heart grew heavier. Finally, I accepted that he could go no further like that. I brought him here, to the healing pool, and I drowned him peacefully in these waters. I captured his spirit as it escaped and I cleansed it of memory...to ease his pain. That done, I sent his soul into the cycle of rebirth, and you were born, Tetsuya...a lovely, pure, kind and gentle half-blood noble...one who was destined to cross paths with Sousuke Aizen...one who would steal his heart, gain his trust, and unknowingly betray him to me. I guided you in every step you took._

_I was the one who did not allow Kyouka Suigetsu to die. I disguised myself and healed him, then held him in suspension until your path led you to the prison where Aizen was being held. I released Kyouka Suigetsu, and had him go to the prison to save his master...but...I told him that if he was seen, he must capture the one who spotted him. I put you in Sousuke Aizen's path. I caused your abduction and I guided you into his arms. The voice speaking inside you has always been me...all along. I caused your heart to open to his and knew that you had been successful in luring him when he took your virginity and bonded your souls together. I knew immediately that a new heir had been seeded, and I began to prepare. I needed to make sure that our tracks were covered, that no one would trace anything back to me, so I whispered into your mind, Tetsuya, playing on your doubts and concerns, teasing you into your investigation, giving you help along the way, and making sure you did not die in the attempt. And you did not disappoint me. You brought everything together at the hideout...the evidence of corruption, Yasu's hidden evidence of the crimes against Sousuke Aizen, the two noble leaders most likely to be troublesome, the prince and, of course, his consort and unborn heir. You brought me everything I desired and handed it to me cleanly, Tetsuya, never once darkening your own purity in the doing of any of it. Aizen would have anticipated one who knew what he was about...but not you. You completely blindsided him._

_But I do not understand_ , thought Tetsuya, _If we are soul bonded, then should I not have died with him?_

The king's smile widened.

_Remember that your soul was born of Mitsuru's, and that Mitsuru was bonded with me. He never even knew your Sousuke Aizen. Thus, when Aizen died in the explosion, you were protected from the shock by your innate connection with me. It protects you, even now._

Tetsuya looked away from the pool's surface, tears filling his eyes and unable to fathom the full truth of just how completely he had been used. A hand touched his shoulder and he shrank away from it, coming to his feet and backing away from the king. Something inside him screamed that something bad was about to happen, and he placed a trembling hand on his pregnant abdomen.

The king stood in front of him and withdrew a large, clear prism from within his white robes. At the sight of it, Tetsuya's face blanched.

_What are you going to do?_

The king stepped forward.

_To be an accepted heir, the heir and the consort bearing him must transcend. This prism will help you to do that, Tetsuya._

He stepped forward again, cornering the terrified noble, then lifted the prism up in front of him.

"N-no!" Tetsuya gasped, breaking the seal on his voice.

"It won't hurt."

"No!" the noble cried louder, "You can't do this!"

He slipped around the side of the king and turned towards the palace, but a moment later, the king's power enveloped him and froze him in place at the edge of the healing pool. The regent walked slowly to where he stood and stopped in front of him, touching his face lightly and then placing his palm over the noble's pounding heart and gently slowing it.

"This is not good for you. Be calm. You will only pass from life for a moment, then you will transcend. Your shinigami body will cease to exist, but you will be borne into a greater form, into greater powers. You will become who you were fated to be. And once the heir has been legitimized by the prism, I will be made rightful king by default, and we will rule the three worlds as king and consort."

Tetsuya's sapphire eyes went wide and tormented as the king reached him and whispered a command to the prism, making light flare inside it and making its facets reflect multiple colors. He tried to look away, tried to scream and break free, but the light streamed out of the prism and began to wrap around his frozen body.

"Take heart, Tetsuya. When you wake, you will remember nothing of the treacherous person I made you become. All of that will be washed away as you pass over."

 _No...stop_! Tetsuya pleaded as the king closed the distance between them.

The king's lips touched his and the light around them flared more brightly. He sensed something happening and realized with horror.

_He's stealing away my life force!_

He couldn't move to resist, nor speak to object anymore. His breath stolen, his body went numb and his legs collapsed beneath him. The king caught him for a moment, and kissed him tenderly one more time.

"Your heart can't bear the agony of knowing what you did to him, that you broke down his defenses and lured him in, all so that I could kill him. I give you back your peace of mind, Tetsuya. And I welcome you to your fate. When you wake, the person you were will be gone and you will be reborn into your transcendent life. Your bond to him will die with him, but your bond to me will carry you forward."

He let go of the dying noble and watched quietly as he fell into the healing pool, and the light from the prism flashed around him. He smiled as he felt the last of Tetsuya's life dwindle away, and the body in the water went still. The light spun faster around him, peeling away his shinigami body and freeing the soul, then capturing it and spinning around it again to wrap it in a more durable and powerful transcendent body. A frown returned at seeing that the new transcendent wore Tetsuya's own lovely face, but a quick application of his own power as the prism's light faded, covered what he would rather the others around him not see.

The king stepped down into the water and gathered the newly transcended consort into his arms. He carried the young man back to his bedroom and laid him carefully in the bed, before leaning over him and kissing him lightly on the forehead.

"Rest for a bit, now," he whispered, "When you wake, the little prince will be born. You will serve me once more in giving me this child to legitimate me...then once I have the full king's powers, we need only be rid of him and make children of our own. The king's line will pass into mine and become one with it...and that wrong done to my father before, will be righted...all thanks to you...my lovely Mitsuru."

He kissed the sleeping consorts lips and slipped out of the room.

_What happened?_

_I was afraid before...just before I fell into the water. Everything went so dark...so dark and so quiet, then all of the things that frightened me before disappeared. The light around me was warm and loving, patient and wise. And even as I feared losing myself to the blackness I was in, the kings' souls within the light spoke to me. They reassured me. And they told me a name to remember, when everything else was gone. It was not the regent king's name, but another..._

_Sousuke..._

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt healing power coursing through his body and opened his eyes. He found himself looking up at Sousuke Aizen as the brown-eyed shinigami leaned over him, healing him, and stealing glances at Yuji Iitoku, who, it seemed had recently been healed. Byakuya turned his head to look around them and frowned in surprise, spotting the familiar environs of the Kuchiki family archive, and sitting near their fallen forms, the gathered evidence against the regent king.

"S-sousuke Aizen," he said in a low, rough voice, "How did we enter the archive?"

Aizen met Byakuya's eyes calmly.

"I am the rightful heir, no?" he said softly, "Only the leader of the Kuchiki clan, or a member of the royal family may enter the archive?"

"Yes, but...how did you know that you could open a doorway to it from other places?"

"I didn't open a doorway," answered Aizen, looking around them, "I used my ban kai."

Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Your...ban kai?"

"Yes," said Aizen, managing a stiff smile, "Did you think I did not have one? I did, after all qualify to be a captain."

"But your illusions could have..."

"It is true that I have not been in the habit of using it. It is dangerous, because it shifts reality."

"What?"

"It makes sense now," Aizen went on, as he continued to heal Byakuya, "My shikai affects the senses, causing the target to believe what I project to it. My ban kai begins to touch on transcendent power. Where my shikai shifts perception, my ban kai shifts reality. I first used this power to shift the reality of Yasu's existence. Perhaps because I am not yet transcended, it was not a complete shift of reality. But it accomplished what I wanted it to. This time, too, it seems to have worked in our favor. I shifted the reality of us being in that place, to being here. And it seems I was successful."

"A reality shift," whispered Byakuya, "and without a verbal invocation."

"You look pale, Byakuya," noted Aizen, smirking, "You did seem to accept that I am the royal heir. Doesn't it make sense that my powers would be on that level? It's funny. I hated being different from my fellow shinigamis. But I understand now. I wasn't ever meant to stand alongside them. One way or another, I was meant to rule them."

Byakuya's lips tightened and he started to give an angry reply, but stopped as Aizen's eyes widened, his hand flew to his chest, and his eyes closed.

"Aizen?" he said, staring, "What is it? What is happening?"

Aizen remained silent for several long minutes, his smudged face registering shock and anger. But after a time, the look faded, and was replaced with dark curiosity.

"Sousuke Aizen," said Byakuya, "tell me what happened."

"It was Tetsuya," Aizen said quietly, still rubbing his chest over his heart, "For a moment, he disappeared from our connection. I thought that I felt him die."

Byakuya paled.

"And now?"

"I feel his presence...but something...something about him is different."

Aizen shook his head and sat back, meeting Byakuya's eyes meaningfully.

"We need to find him. We need to go into the spirit dimension and find him quickly!"


	15. The Invasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the king thinking he is dead, Aizen plans an invasion of the royal realm.

XXXXXXXXXX

_How have the tables turned? That good and evil have faded into shades of gray. I looked at you and saw the face of the devil. But it was the angel's hand that, in the end, moved to undo me, and the devil who captured me as I fell and opened my eyes to the truth. Everything I knew was wrong..._

XXXXXXXXXX

"How exactly do you plan to break into the spirit dimension, find and rescue Tetsuya and corner and overcome the regent king without also having to face down the full fury of the Royal Council, the Royal Guard and the king's elite Hogosha?" Byakuya asked savagely, "You have no idea what you are saying or you would...!"

"What?" Aizen hissed, glaring back at him, "Simply allow him to take Tetsuya and use our baby to legitimize himself and to gain the full powers of the true king? We cannot allow that to happen!"

"It would be a complete disaster to do nothing," agreed Yuji, "We will likely lose Tetsuya as soon as the child is born, assuming that the regent intends to take Tetsuya's baby and switch it with the child his consort is carrying."

"I am not saying that we should do nothing," insisted Byakuya, "But this man lost more than a little of his subtlety once he betrayed us all and showed his true face!"

"Yet, I was able to fool nearly everyone for many years," Aizen reminded the noble, "I can be stealthy."

"You were a transcendent soul among normal shinigamis!" snapped Byakuya, his gray eyes flashing, "You have never even dealt with your own kind! You have no idea what you are walking into! You don't know who will support us...who will betray us...how to get through whatever defenses the regent has!"

Aizen smirked.

"My powers will be sufficient to conceal us in the spirit dimension, as long as we are cautious. And although I do not know how we will locate and rescue Tetsuya, I will assume that the king will keep him close until the birth of the heir. So, while I focus on the king, the two of you will focus on finding and protecting Tetsuya."

"And what will you do when you have cornered the regent?" asked Yuji, "As powerful as you are and as much as your soul is transcendent, you are still a shinigami. How will you face down even an interim king?"

"He will need to transcend," answered Byakuya, standing and moving towards a row of old books.

"What?" Yuji gasped softly, "How is he to do that?"

He and Aizen moved to join the noble as he pored over the pages of one book, then another. He paused as he came to a certain page, and began to read.

"So bathed in the waters of the king's healing pool, and infused with the light of the forefathers, so was the heir's body cleansed and lifted into transcendence."

"The light of the forefathers?" queried Yuji, "What is that?"

"There are several references to that in the materials that I found in Central 46 and in the hollow archive in Las Noches, but the authors were all careful to avoid mentioning the mechanism of bringing the forefathers into the healing pool," said Aizen.

Byakuya picked one old diary from among the clan leader diaries and opened it.

"This information is strictly confidential, and the only place it is allowed to appear is in this diary."

"Whose diary is that?" asked Yuji.

Aizen's eyes widened in appreciation and he reached out and touched the volume.

"Hajime Kuchiki?" he queried softly.

Byakuya nodded, his eyes nostalgic as he opened the book.

"The first Kuchiki," he said softly, "crafted by the original incarnation of the spirit king."

He turned through the pages, finding what he was searching for, near the end of the thick volume.

"And when the time comes for renewal, the elder incarnations of the kings and consorts that have passed, will speak to the younger through the use of the King's Prism. The light of the forefathers, kings and consorts, will rest in the lovely facets of that artifact," read Byakuya.

"So, we need to gain possession of the king's prism," concluded Aizen.

"What?" said Byakuya, gazing at him disbelievingly, "One does not just waltz into the spirit dimension and steal the king's prism! He probably has it hidden!"

"Hmmm," said Aizen, considering, "We will need to secure the prism and Tetsuya prior to bracing the regent king."

"How? If he is guarding the king's prism, himself...?" asked Yuji.

"This is insane!" Byakuya insisted, shaking his head, "We three cannot infiltrate the spirit dimension and do this!"

"Ah," said Aizen, nodding, "Perhaps not."

He drew Kyouka Suigetsu and invoked his shikai.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya demanded.

Aizen smirked.

"Would you like to go and collect Renji, or shall I?"

"Wh...Renji? Aizen, what are you...? We cannot go out there now! If the king senses ANY of us are alive, any hope of doing this is going to be destroyed instantly."

"Oh," chuckled Aizen, "Well, at least you admit now that there is a chance. Go on, Byakuya. Go and find Renji. Just, be quiet about it...and return quickly. Yuji and I will be developing a strategy."

"Frankly," Byakuya said scathingly, "I am surprised you are bothering to plan at all. And even more surprising is that you admit to needing anyone's help."

"Come now," said Aizen, "I was a meticulous planner. And I did require the help of several captains, as well as an army of Espada. I merely did not trust in them to do as expected. I relied on my ability to alter course quickly to manage any unforseen circumstances."

"Except the one that sealed your powers away and allowed you to be captured," Byakuya said, his lips quirking.

"An embarrassment indeed, considering how easily the Seireitei's great captains, and even the head captain, were all defeated...well, defeated or merely trapped."

"Enough useless chatter," snapped the Kuchiki clan leader, "You were saying?"

"Go now and fetch Renji. I have a feeling that, at some point, brute force will be necessary."

Byakuya glowered at him.

"Are you certain that your reiatsu won't be sensed while it protects me?" he asked shortly.

"I am assuming that, as he cannot use or nullify my attacks, he also cannot sense me if I conceal my reiatsu."

"That is a rather large assumption," argued Byakuya.

"Perhaps," said Aizen, "But we have agreed we need more firepower and another set of hands and eyes to do this. So stop making complaints and go bring Abarai so that we can work on how to break into the spirit dimension."

"I already know how you and I will enter," Byakuya said quietly, "I am not as certain about the others. But we can work on that when I return with Renji...provided that your supposition is true and we are not sensed."

Byakuya turned and left without waiting for an answer, leaving Aizen alone with Yuji Iitoku. He looked up at his former lover's twin brother and sighed softly.

"It seems that we have some time to ourselves while we wait for Byakuya," he commented, "So, while we are not otherwise engaged, perhaps you should ask me the questions that you are obviously holding back."

"I have but one question for you, Sousuke Aizen," said the Iitoku clan leader, "Given your penchant for mistrust and your history of using illusions to obscure yourself, not to mention your tendency to turn on your allies, I must ask you...did you truly love my brother...or was that just another illusion?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"I cannot wait for you to wake, and to return my kisses as you once did, my beautiful Mitsuru," the regent said, pressing his lips against the unconscious Tetsuya's, "I know that you have been through a horrid ordeal, but now that those things have been swept from your mind, we can be as we once were."

He slipped a hand underneath Tetsuya's yukata and caressed the swollen bump on his abdomen.

"You see now that what you once believed was impossible has become possible. The sacrifice we made, sending your soul into the cycle of rebirth, has given us the chance to have everything we dreamed of. But twice now, the weight of this has taken such a toll that you had to be relieved of everything to move forward. Such is your pure and gentle soul that it could not manage, knowing what we were required to do to win the crown. Now, I alone, will bear the knowledge. And you, my love, are free to reclaim your lost innocence. The difficulty is over for you. You are strong enough now to bear the royal heir. You need only rest and remain calm. I will take care of everything."

He smiled as Tetsuya's eyes opened and blinked.

"Lovely," the regent said, kissing his lips again, "The one thing that has not changed, even having passed through death and into transcendence. Such a beautiful blue, Mitsuru. I have never seen eyes more enchanting. I only miss the loving way you used to look at me. But now that the weight has been taken from your heart, perhaps you will look at me that way again."

Tetsuya shivered as the regent kissed him, and pulled away, his sapphire eyes wide and distressed.

"How did I get here?" he panted, his heart racing as he tried to recognize his surroundings, "What is this place? Who are you?"

He flinched as the regent captured him in warm, supportive arms.

"It is all right, Mitsuru," he said soothingly, "Don't be afraid. I am here. I will take care of you. Be calm, precious love. I won't let anything else happen to you."

"But what happened to me?" Tetsuya asked desperately, "Why can't I remember anything? I don't know who I am...where I am. I don't understand what is going on!"

"It's all right. It's all right," the regent said, holding him tightly and placing pacifying kisses on his cheek and forehead, "Mitsuru, you were just very ill. But you are getting well now. I know that you are confused right now, but just be glad for that you have regained consciousness and our baby is still alive inside you."

"Our...baby?" Tetsuya repeated, looking down at himself, "But I am...male. I am...I..."

Pain flashed across his features suddenly and he gripped the regent's arms where they held him.

"What's happening?" he panted, "It hurts!"

"Slow your breathing, my love. It will be all right. I expected this. The stress of what you have endured has pushed you into early labor. But do not worry. I will summon a healer to stabilize you. Just rest and trust me, Mitsuru. You have nothing to fear."

He left the bed and walked out of the room, leaving Tetsuya alone for a moment. He panted softly, rubbing his abdomen and trying to connect with the small presence inside him. He projected calming thoughts, closing his eyes for a moment and considering what to do. He thought about the king's words and how they clashed so oddly with the feelings inside him that rose up when the man touched him.

_Something tells me not to trust him. But if I do not trust him, then who can I trust? How would I know if he was lying to me? I do not even know who I am. I feel nothing inside when he says my name!_

He froze for a moment as he remembered.

_I don't know why, but I remember being wrapped in calm, gentle light...hearing voices that I felt that I could trust. They told me to remember..._

But try as he might, he couldn't remember what is was that they had said. As he struggled with the memory, he heard an odd, strained neigh coming from outside the balcony doors. Still holding his abdomen, Tetsuya climbed out of the bed and stumbled to the balcony. As he looked down, he spotted a tall black stallion that looked to have been involved in battle and injured. The beast limped across the gardens outside his room and stopped below his balcony, staring up at him through wide, sapphire eyes that he knew without pause, looked like his own.

_But how do I know this? Do I know this creature?_

The injured stallion looked up at him and whickered longingly.

"You poor thing," he said softly, "Do you need help? I can..."

He broke off as the door to his room opened and the regent returned with a healer.

"Mitsuru!" he said, sounding deeply concerned, "What are you doing out of bed, my love. Come back inside. What were you doing out there?"

"I'm...all right," Tetsuya assured him, "I only got up because I heard that..."

He paused, noting that the horse had disappeared.

"Never you mind what's out there," the king scolded him, gently lifting him and carrying him back to the bed, "You need to rest. You have been unconscious for a very long time. You shouldn't be on your feet so soon."

"His majesty is right," affirmed the healer, "you are recovering, but you must take things slowly so that you do not overwhelm yourself and put your baby at risk."

"Of course," Tetsuya said, lying down and allowing the healer to examine him, "I apologize for worrying you. I was just...confused. I hardly remember anything."

The regent king gave him an odd look.

"What do you remember, Mitsuru?"

"Not much," Tetsuya admitted, "Just a feeling of being wrapped in warm light...hearing voices...and...them telling me to remember..."

"Remember what?"

"It was a name...someone's name," Tetsuya said softly, "But I cannot remember it now."

"Do not trouble yourself," said the regent, shaking his head, "Just close your eyes, Mitsuru, and let everything fade away."

The words made Tetsuya quiver inside.

"I...am almost afraid to close my eyes," he admitted as the regent sat down next to him and slipped a hand into his, "I am afraid that if I sleep, I will not wake up again."

"Shh," the king said, kissing his forehead and squeezing his hand, "You have awakened from your long sleep."

"You have made a stunning recovery," added the healer, "You are much stronger now. You will be all right. But his majesty is right. You must rest."

"I will," Tetsuya said, his eyes blinking sleepily, "Arigato...erm...?"

"Hideo," said the healer, "My name is Hideo."

"Hideo," Tetsuya repeated, nodding and yawning.

He watched as the man bowed and left the room, then looked up at the king.

"I do not know your name either," he said quietly, "I, of course, will refer to you properly in the presence of others, but if we are lovers, should I not know your name?"

The king smiled.

"Toru," he said, touching Tetsuya's lips as he repeated the name aloud.

"Toru..."

He frowned at the lack of reaction in his heart when he said it.

_Surely, if we were lovers, I would feel something inside, no?_

"I must leave you for a time, Mitsuru," said the regent king, "I do not want you to be up and about. Rest quietly here, and I will be back soon."

Tetsuya started to answer, but was surprised and overcome by a soft jolt of kido.

"Sleep, my love."

A last thought passed through Tetsuya's mind as he was overcome.

_He does not act so much like a man in love as like a man who is hiding something._

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji stood, staring at the crater in the ground, where the old shack had been and tried to fathom what was said to have happened.

"It seems that Aizen was holding hostages here, perhaps because they had some information that he needed or they knew something he didn't want others to know. We don't know exactly why he did this. Unfortunately, someone with a grudge caught up with him and destroyed the place," said the officer from the secret mobile corps, "From the reiatsu traces, we identified Aizen, Yuji Iitoku, Byakuya Kuchiki and Tetsuya Kuchiki. The bodies were incinerated, but the reiatsu was still identifiable."

"You're telling me that two clan leaders, a captain level shinigami and Aizen, the man who no one could kill, all died here?"

"You can have the site investigated all you want," said the officer, "You will only find what we did."

Renji's eyes narrowed.

"Is...something wrong, Vice Captain Abarai?"

"N-no...thank you. I've seen enough. I'm going to go and make a report to the Kuchiki elders and the head captain."

"Yes sir."

Renji took a last look at the site, then started back towards Kuchuki Manor, his mind spinning with doubts and worries.

_This can't be. Byakuya can't have died...not like that. That's impossible! This is something else. Something hasn't been right with Tetsuya ever since Aizen kidnapped him, but the guy was pregnant with Aizen's baby. Aizen, not only wouldn't die, he wouldn't let a guy carrying his baby die. This just all seems off._

He reached the manor and was led into the gardens.

"The elders will be here soon," the housekeeper informed him, her eyes red and teary, "They are receiving a report from the Iitoku clan."

"Thanks, Matsuko," Renji said, taking her hand and squeezing it gently, "Look, I know what they said. But...let's wait and see on this. Because anytime Sousuke Aizen is involved, what you see may not be what you get."

He stopped himself, catching his breath as the housekeeper thanked him and walked away.

_Illusions...definitely could have been involved. But if he isn't dead, then...?_

He was brought out of his reverie as he felt something shift in the air around him. He froze as Byakuya's voice sounded in his ear.

"Do not let on that you are aware of me," the noble warned him, kissing his earlobe, "Come, Renji, I need your help."


	16. Unremembered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya struggles to remember what happened as Aizen strives to reach him.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Raindrops fall softly. They cool my skin and freshen the air around me. My emptied mind reaches, but does not find. My lost heart loves, but knows not who. My body feels the rain and loves its touch, but cannot remember why._

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya felt his body beginning to awaken again and reached out with his senses. Noting that the king was not in the room, and his attendants appeared to be outside the room as well, he opened one blue eye and looked around. He still rested in the regent king's bed, dressed in a white yukata. He reached down and rubbed the swelling on his abdomen and found that the child's reiatsu had settled.

Remembering then, the black horse he had seen earlier, he looked around again, then slipped out of bed, making his way to the balcony doors, only to find them locked with kido.

_Am I a prisoner here? He calls me his consort, and I know I feel affection coming from him, but there is also wariness. And there are secrets. I need to understand what is going on. And something tells me that the horse I saw may be a better source of information than the king or any of the people around me._

Tetsuya took a steadying breath and tested the flow of reiatsu in his body. He inhaled sharply as his power flared brightly. And he had a sense of it being more than it had been before.

_Before what. though? He spoke of transcendence. Is that why, then? I became a transcendent and...what happened then? He says that I fell ill. I heard him say something about 'twice having to be relieved of the weight of what happened.' This means that he removed my memories himself somehow? Whatever the truth is, here, he said as much as that he didn't think that my heart could bear it. Still, I must know the truth. And I won't know it unless I..._

His thoughts were scattered as the door opened and a servant entered the room.

"Good morning, Lord Mitsuru," the youth greeted him, "I am Akira. I am to be your attendant. I sensed you had awakened. Would you like me to bring you some tea, sir?"

"Oh...yes, arigato Akira. Tea would be good."

"I will return with that in a moment, sir. I will inform the king you are awake."

"No, that's not..."

The attendant disappeared before he could finish. Tetsuya shook his head and turned back to the window. He invoked his powers again, but this time with more control over the massive reiatsu within him.

_This will take some getting used to._

He took a breath and focused on the kido lock on the balcony doors, then fired what was meant to be a small, controlled pulse, into them. He caught his breath and backed away as the reiatsu around him swelled, and the doors in front of him blew apart.

_Shades!_

"Mitsuru!" the king exclaimed from the doorway.

He flash stepped to Tetsuya.

"Do not move. You are standing in broken glass, love," the king warned him.

"I am...sorry!" Tetsuya gasped, "I only wanted some fresh air. I didn't mean to..."

"It's all right," said the king, lifting him and carrying him to the dressing area.

Tetsuya noticed the pale-faced guards in the doorway and his heart sank.

"I meant no harm. I don't know why..."

"Hush now," Toru said, brushing the glass from his clothing and motioning for the just returned Akira to fetch him fresh clothing, "Come with me. We need to make sure to get the shards off of your skin."

He led Tetsuya into a huge bathing room, then into a warm bathing pool that took up most of the room. They moved out under the warm waterfall and rinsed themselves carefully. Tetsuya felt a pang of guilt as he spotted traces of blood on the regent's hands.

"My lord, Toru!" he gasped, "You've cut your hands!"

He frowned down at his own hands and shook his head.

"I would heal you," he whispered, "but I might do more damage. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"There now," the king said placatingly, "No harm done. I am fine. But...why did you attempt to force the doors, Mitsuru?"

"I just needed some fresh air, my lord."

He lowered his eyes.

"And being locked in my room made me feel suffocated. I don't know what I was like before, but I hate feeling closed in...as though in a prison."

"Is that what you think you are in, my love?" Toru said, his eyes taking on a sad shine, "You think I confine you here? I assure you. I only meant to protect you by locking the doors. You have just awakened from a very long sleep, with no memory of who you are. I worried you would wander away and become lost. I could not bear to have something bad happen to you, Mitsuru. We are...so close to having everything we wanted. Please, just do not stray away. You will have our baby soon. And after he is born, I will not have to be so cautious with you."

_It makes sense...but..._

He felt the regent's hands capture his face and looked into the man's powerful, golden eyes. They seemed to look right through him, to take in every part of him, to test his heart, his mind, the limits of his body. Tetsuya's legs weakened beneath him as those eyes came closer and sank farther down inside him, the regent's lips found his and caressed them warmly. His fingers slid through the long, silken strands of Tetsuya's black hair, and his mind spun wickedly as the man's other arm wrapped around him and pulled him closer. He thrust his tongue into Tetsuya's mouth, curling their tongues together, making the consort's eyes close against the rising heat and causing sweat to break out even on his wetted skin.

_What are you...doing to me?_

The king's mouth possessed his more forcefully and his hands caressed and explored Tetsuya's body in a way that stated clearly which direction they were headed.

_But as I am king's consort, he has that right, ne? So why does this feel so wrong? Why do I quiver inside when he touches me? Why?_

All at once, Tetsuya felt something return to him. He remembered standing in the king's garden, alone by the healing pool, his hands wrapped around his swollen midsection and his eyes shedding devastated tears.

_"How could he deceive me like this? He said we were fated to be together...but all of the time, he was lying to me? This other...this one to whom I belong, I don't even know. I have never met him, yet his soul cries out to me. But I must never say that name aloud in my husband's presence. He must never hear it pass my lips. Sousuke. His name is Sousuke...and somehow, I must reach him. I must..."_

_"Mitsuru..."_

_He froze, there at the edge of the water, looking at his reflection, and the reflection of the king's deadly expression._

_"Where did you hear that name?"_

_His eyes widened and he turned, bringing his hands up as the king's wrapped around his pale throat._

_"I meant nothing by it! I am sorry, my lord! I am...!"_

_He lost the ability to breathe and fell back into the pool. Toru followed him into the water and knelt down, forcing him down beneath the water's surface and holding him there. He stared up into the man's almost apologetic eyes as his body struggled for air and the water began to seep in. The regent's voice sounded in his mind as he faded, unleashing the final insult._

_"It will be all right, Mitsuru. I will not let you die. You will enter the cycle of rebirth and live again. We will find our way back to each other, once you have led me to him and brought me what I needed."_

_The king lifted his body from the water and he brought the prism close to him._

_"Go now, my love. My eyes will watch you...and my voice will guide you. Put your faith in me and you will return to me soon."_

Terror flooded Tetsuya's body and he cried out as though in pain and broke away from Toru. He stood a short distance away, staring at the other man, and knowing instantly that he could not reveal what he had seen in his mind.

_He killed me?_

_He killed me and sent me into the shinigami world to find that other person._

_Sousuke?_

"Mitsuru, are you all right?" Toru asked, moving towards him, "Why did you pull away from me like that?"

"I...I felt suddenly dizzy. I..."

He dropped to his knees in the water, and another hazy memory returned.

_As he fell into darkness, he felt the presence of his zanpakutou falling with him._

_"I am sorry, my master," said a soft, feminine voice, "When we are born into the shinigami world, I will make sure he never uses water to hurt you again."_

"Mitsuru," the king whispered, kneeling next to him and wrapping his arms around his confused consort, "You are overwrought with the power fluctuations that are a result of your return from unconsciousness."

_But I wasn't unconscious at all._

_This man murdered me._

_He stole the soul from my body and sent it into the shinigami world. I must have had a life there, and somehow...I returned here. But what happened to Sousuke? Did I find him? Did I betray him to the king?_

_I need to know..._

"Mitsuru, please speak to me. Tell me what is wrong. Tell me how I can help you."

Tetsuya turned and looked into his eyes, letting all pretense fall away as hard, cold emotion rocketed through him.

"Tell me what you did to him!" he demanded, tears leaking onto his face, "What did you do to Sousuke? What did you do to the man I was fated to be with?"

The king's eyes widened for a moment, then filled with fury. He gripped Tetsuya's arms tightly and glared into his eyes until he couldn't draw a breath from the heaviness of the reiatsu around them.

"That man is dead," Toru said coldly, "As is the person that you became to lure him in. You need to forget that past time, Mitsuru. It means nothing, now that we are together."

He glared at Tetsuya, waiting for an answer as the reiatsu flared and pulsed painfully around them.

_He cannot be dead, this Sousuke. If he was, those voices I heard wouldn't have told me to remember him. I feel the lie here...but I need to back down. Whatever the king's crimes, the baby inside me is innocent. Drawing the king's anger now could get us both killed. I must back down, for now._

_But I will not believe that Sousuke is dead._

"M-my apologies, my lord," Tetsuya said, feeling a horrid, sick feeling pass through him, "I will admit that I do not know who that man is...only that I know he is connected to my fate somehow."

"He is not connected to you anymore, Mitsuru," the king said, gripping Tetsuya's face and glaring down into his eyes warningly, "Sousuke is dead. And you are put him out of your mind for good. Focus on taking care of yourself. Focus on our baby. Leave the past behind you. Can you do that?"

_I must not anger him anymore._

He held the regent's eyes for a moment longer, then nodded briefly.

"I am sorry, my lord," he whispered, nearly choking on the words, "I will do as you say, of course. I merely dreamed of hearing that name. I didn't know that it would make you so angry to hear it. Please don't be angry with me. I meant no harm."

He was uncertain, feeling the hard flickers of the king's muted rage, if the regent would let things go at that. But his consort's complicity seemed to mollify him, and he let out a long breath and nodded.

"Do not think on it. Come now, Mitsuru. Let us get you dressed and get some food into you. You need to nourish yourself and our baby. You seem to have forgotten this amidst your outburst. I will forget that I heard you speak that name, if you will promise me that you will never speak it again. You do not want to cause yourself needless anguish over one who has already perished."

"I understand."

"Good," the king said, reclaiming a smile and kissing him lightly.

He led Tetsuya out of the water and back into their bedroom, where a scurrying Akira quickly provided him with a fresh yukata.

"I freshened your tea, sir. And food has been brought," he told Tetsuya as he dressed him, "Come back to bed," Toru said, taking his hand as Akira finished with him.

Tetsuya returned to the bed and sat down, then ate quietly as the king rested with an arm around him, and calmly watching. As he finished his meal, Tetsuya felt weariness steal over him and laid back down, closing his eyes. He wondered at the heavy feeling all around him and remembered belatedly that the king had left him while Akira was dressing him.

_He could easily have slipped something into my food. And he was watching me so closely as I ate. He is relentless..._

But even as sleep began to overtake him, he heard a soft, questioning voice in his mind.

_Master?_

_Master, can you hear me?_

_I will give you an infusion to make the sedative release you. When you wake, you must find a way to escape him. That man is dangerous. You must run from him. ___

He opened his eyes again, and was surprised to find that the room was dark and he was alone. He slipped out of bed and into the closet, where he found a pair of sandals and a warm cloak. Not wanting to waste time dressing, he remained in the clean, white yukata that Akira had dressed him in. He made his way on silent feet to the boarded over and kido protected balcony.

_What do I do now?_

He was surprised to hear the female voice he had heard guiding him before.

_I have placed a waterform outside the palace for you. You will be out of the sight of the guards, but you must be careful. Stay under cover and only reveal yourself to Arashi._

Tetsuya blinked.

"W-waterforms? Arashi?" he whispered blankly.

_Close your eyes and will yourself to move to the set waterform._

"What?" Tetsuya breathed, shaking his head, "I..."

He caught his breath in surprise as he felt an odd shift in the area around him, and he suddenly found himself standing outside the palace in the bushes.

A moment later, he realized that he was naked.

"What...what was that? What happened? Why in kami's name am I standing here naked?" he hissed.

He heard a feminine giggle in his mind and scowled.

_That was beastly of you, woman! Who are you?_

The woman's voice giggled sweetly again.

Tetsuya inhaled sharply as the bushes in front of him suddenly parted.

"Oh!"

He startled as a soft muzzle nuzzled his naked shoulder and warm, equine breath tickled his skin.

_Who are you two? Do you know each other?_

The woman's voice sounded in his mind again.

_You should be able to hear Arashi's voice now. Listen, Master._

A softer, almost whispy voice entered his mind then.

_Master, finally you can hear me. I was so worried!_

Tetsuya stared at the lovely, but battered stallion.

"You...are Arashi?" he asked softly, shivering as the cold around him began to sink into his still bare body, "And who is the woman who made me appear here without a stitch of clothing?"

 _She is your zanpakutou_ , answered Arashi, _You will not be able to hear her name until you connect with her again. But she is here to help you._

"A lot of help she is, making me appear out here with no clothes and leaving me to freeze!" Tetsuya said, raising an eyebrow.

_You appeared here without clothes because you have forgotten how to properly use your waterforms. You are adjusting to your new transcendent form..._

She paused for a moment, then went on.

_Oh, that is right. You do not know your name, either, do you?_

Tetsuya sighed.

"And I suppose that you cannot tell me that, either, ne?"

_I am sorry, Master. But to do so would interfere with your fate. You must reconnect with us as we all move forward and make our choices._

"Ah...I see. Well, nameless one..." he said, then he glanced at the stallion, "...and Arashi. Now that I have been liberated from the palace, would either of you mind helping me find some clothes before I freeze?"

He frowned as something occurred to him and turned to peek through the bushes, up at his bedroom window.

"Wait...has it...really not been noticed that I am missing?" he asked softly.

_I took the liberty of leaving an advanced waterform in your bed, to give us time to escape the area._

"Advanced waterform..." Tetsuya muttered, "I see I have a lot to catch up on. But as I said, I need to procure some clothing?"

 _Allow me_ , offered Arashi, disappearing from the bushes in front of him.

Tetsuya heard, soft hoofbeats, a sweet nicker and a man's voice...then an odd thump.

 _Go to your right_ , Arashi directed him.

Tetsuya moved to his right and located the unconscious guard, concealed a short distance away.

"I hate to leave him naked," Tetsuya complained.

 _Oh, he will wake up and be fine_ , laughed Arashi, _I didn't strike him hard._

 _And besides_ , the woman added, _You are in more need, being with child and pursued, right now. Come, Master, we need to find a place to stay for the night._

Tetsuya sighed and started towards the stallion, then felt an odd sleepiness take hold of him. His eyes closed suddenly and he collapsed in front of Arashi.

 _Oh dear_ , muttered the woman, _I had thought we would be off before the infusion wore off and the sedative knocked him out. He didn't even have time to dress. Ah well._

There was a shimmer in the air, and a lovely, pixielike woman appeared next to the collapsed man. She took the guard's clothes, then dressed Tetsuya and placed him on Arashi's back, climbing up after him and holding him quietly as Arashi carried them away from the palace, carefully concealing their route as they went. They located a small cave, overlooking a tranquil valley and secreted themselves there.

 _Would you let me heal you now, Arashi_? the woman asked, _He is safe, for the moment, and there is time._

Arashi reached out with his senses and scanned the area, then sank down onto his knees next to Tetsuya to keep him warm as they slept.

_If you wish...just, do not attract any unwanted attention._

_I won't_ , the woman answered, sitting down next to him.

She carefully healed his injuries, then leaned against him and looked out of the cave.

_You should rest now, Arashi. I am a zanpakutou and do not need to sleep. I will keep watch._

She glanced at the stallion and smiled, noting that she needn't have said a word. Stallion and master slept contentedly, next to each other, sharing their warmth. The woman shook her head and chuckled, then quietly faded from view, her eyes still watching over them as they slept.

_You will be all right now, Master. We won't let anyone harm you. And when you have rested, we go and seek out Sousuke Aizen._

_He will know what to do to help you._

_He must..._


	17. Raindrops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen continues planning his strategy as Tetsuya works to elude recapture.

XXXXXXXXXX

_In drops like tears, the things I have forgotten collect upon my skin and slowly sink inside. Shadowed whispers, veiled faces and distant eyes, they pour into my heart and call me back to you._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Did I love your brother?" Aizen repeated, looking into a face that, although it looked older than Yasu's had, reflected well, what the councilor might have looked like, had he lived, "Have I done something to indicate to you that I did not?"

Yuji continued to gaze back at him quietly for a moment, then shook his head briefly.

"It pains you to look at me, ne?" the Iitoku clan leader said, softly, "It would not hurt to look at me if, indeed, you felt nothing for him. I am glad. I am glad that my brother knew love before he died. I myself still walk alone, although the clan has, many times offered to suggest a mate for me. But willingly connecting to someone like that brings such risk. Yasu was...a good brother. We were very close. We never held back from each other, not in any way. So, when he was lost, it was a long, hard fall. Even worse, I fell alone. And no one but me could register the hurt."

"I am sorry for that," Aizen said quietly, "I was under the impression that it would have dishonored him and your clan if the accusations made against him were made public. I did erase him, but it was so that the lies they would have told about him would never escape their lips to damage all that was left of him."

Yuji bit his lip and nodded, then sighed softly.

"I appreciate the sentiment, and although it has been heartbreaking, feeling so alone in his loss, now there others who know about him."

He glanced at the large stack of gathered evidence that covered one of the tables in the archive.

"And soon, his name will be spoken proudly again," the clan leader went on, "Everyone will know how bravely he faced those who would undermine our justice. I know that you are not a gentle man, Sousuke Aizen. But whatever you have become, you are still my brother's beloved, and I see it as a matter of honor to do what I can to help you."

Aizen gave him a brief smile and shook his head.

"Yuji, I was just a teen when Yasu and I met. And I haven't done nearly so much to assist you in honoring him as someone else has...someone who sought the truth relentlessly, much as your brother did...even though I, myself, tried to stand in his path."

"Tetsuya," Yuji whispered, nodding in acknowledgement, "He is truly a person of courage and resolve, Sousuke Aizen. He is also a man who is deeply in love with you. I think that he would stop at nothing to honor that love. You are a lucky man to have found such a person, not once...but twice in your life. I am not blaming you for my brother's death, but I must confess that I do hope your attempts to protect your Tetsuya end in a better fashion than your attempt to protect my brother."

"Well," said Aizen, smiling to indicate that he had not taken offense, "as you said, Yuji, I am not a gentle man. And like Tetsuya, I will stop at nothing to protect him...and to protect our child. Having been given a second chance at love and family, I will not waste the opportunity."

"That is good," said Yuji, peacefulness touching his eyes, "I think that Tetsuya's chances for survival are significantly better than my brother's were."

"I am a more powerful shinigami now."

"And your pain has stiffened your resolve," concluded Yuji, "That is a good thing."

Aizen smiled.

"You seem to have developed a closeness with Tetsuya," he commented.

Yuji sighed.

"My feelings for him are complicated," he admitted, "It is a love that is brotherly in nature. Perhaps, like you, I see my closeness with him as a second chance."

Aizen started to answer, but was interrupted as the archive door opened and Byakuya entered, followed by a somewhat flustered looking Renji.

"Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" he demanded, "I'm seeing wanted felons and people who have been declared dead, all around me. Did I miss something?"

He studied the others for a moment, then his frown deepened.

"Where is Tetsuya?" he asked, sounding even more unnerved.

Byakuya shook his head.

"Tetsuya disappeared just before the explosion. He wasn't with us when it happened. We think that he may have been abducted," said Byakuya.

"Okay," said the redhead. rubbing his hands over his face, "I'm getting now that what we were seeing over there was an illusion, ne?"

"Yes," said Aizen, "As the explosion took place, I left the illusion of remains of the three of us, and I used my ban kai to perform a reality shift that brought the three of us here."

"The three of you," Renji repeated, "But not Tetsuya..."

"No," said Byakuya, looking concerned, "Renji, what is it? Did something happen?"

Renji paused for a moment, worry in his features.

"If you didn't leave an illusion, then it could be that what the secret mobile corps found in their investigation was true."

"What did they find?" asked Yuji, a haunted look in his eyes.

Renji bit at his lips and forced the words out.

"The secret mobile corps found the remains of four bodies...four."

Aizen shook his head.

"Tetsuya is not dead," he said firmly, "That is not possible."

Byakuya's widened eyes met Renji's, then Aizen's.

"Whoever took him must have replaced him with..."

"The reiatsu and genetic markers were perfectly matched," said Renji, "Tetsuya's body was found just outside the front door. They concluded that he was trying to get to whoever was inside when the blast went off."

Byakuya's eyes closed in distress.

"It has to have been an illusion," insisted Yuji, "The king used Tetsuya's own powers to steal him away. Perhaps he used Aizen's..."

"He cannot use Sousuke's powers," Byakuya reminded him, "You know that."

"Right, right..." muttered Yuji, shaking his head.

"But there is another explanation," insisted Aizen, "I will not believe that the king separated Tetsuya from us, merely to let him be killed trying to return to us. It makes no sense. And besides, I sensed something that felt like Tetsuya's death, but it occurred after we were already here. Add to that, the fact that his presence returned to the link between us, albeit being somehow changed, and there can be only one conclusion. That dead body was someone else. The king expected us all to die. he wasn't expecting that we would live. So putting the other body there, had to have been done to make everyone believe that Tetsuya died there too."

"It sounds like all roads lead to the spirit dimension now," said Byakuya.

"Uh," sighed Renji, "Would someone please fill me in on this? You say...the spirit king took Tetsuya and put that body in his place? Why?"

Aizen, Byakuya and Yuji exchanged meaningful glances.

"He thought that he killed anyone who would have a reason to try to find Tetsuya. He took my cousin into the spirit dimension with him, thinking that because all of us were dead and the evidence against him was destroyed, he could proceed with his plans to use Tetsuya's child to gain legitimacy as king."

"Whoa, hang on, wait a sec!" Renji exclaimed, "I thought that Tetsuya was having that guy's baby! How can the king use the baby?"

Byakuya smiled patiently.

"I was a bit confused about all of that as well."

He gave Aizen a soft glare.

"And I am not thrilled at the development. But, from what we gather, Sousuke Aizen is the actual missing royal heir, which makes Tetsuya's baby the next heir after Aizen. The current king is only a regent, placed in the position while it is determined who should be the next king. He is a dangerous man, very powerful. And being the regent, he wants to be legitimated and given the full powers of the king. If he and his royal consort make an heir that is accepted by the king's prism, then the regent will be named true king and have all of the associated powers. Now, I admit to not being fond of the idea of that position being filled by one of Aizen's dubious nature and reputation. But seeing the evidence that Tetsuya managed to gather, my duty is clear. I must help Sousuke Aizen to reclaim his rightful place in the spirit dimension."

Renji's eyes widened and his nostrils flared.

"You're gonna make that guy king? Are you nuts?" he yelled.

"Sousuke Aizen is already the rightful king," said Byakuya, "And it is my duty, though not a heartfelt one, to assist him...and you will too, Renji."

"What?" the redhead objected.

"For my cousin's sake," Byakuya said, an urgency coming into his voice, "I believe that Tetsuya must still be alive. But he is in terrible danger. After the child is born, the king may simply kill him. We need to get to the palace and stop that from happening."

"But I thought that the head captain was the only one who knew where the king's key was located," objected Renji, "And given Aizen is still wanted, he might not want to help. Although, if the evidence is good..."

"We cannot go through the captain commander," said Yuji, shaking his head, "The king thinks that he killed all of us...except you, Renji Abarai. If we take a monitored path into the spirit dimension, we will be sensed and killed before we reach the palace. No, we must take a different path into the spirit dimension."

"And I have a way that we can use," said Byakuya.

He led them to the back of the archive and indicated a large, ornate golden door.

"Whoa," said Renji, blinking, "Tell me that's not..."

"That door leads into the king's archive," said Byakuya, "It is there because our clan has been charged with the care and keeping of both our own archive and the king's. I am allowed to pass through with one 'attendant' at will. A member of the royal family may also pass through with one attendant. It is done this way to prevent the doorway from being misused."

"You mean, so that groups of plotters can't get into the spirit dimension and cause trouble, ne?" said Renji, smirking.

"Exactly," agreed Byakuya, "But there are two problems. First, the regent may have anticipated such a move and could have locked the door to prevent us coming through."

"But considering you have been declared dead," said Aizen, "I don't know that he'll expend the time or effort. Still, it is good to be cautious. What is your other concern?"

"When we emerge, we must be sure to do so when the archive is empty, meaning at night. But the differential currents between worlds make time flow inconsistent, so we will have to make an educated guess as to when to enter. Add to that first, that we will be inside the palace, and secondly that we need to avoid a confrontation until Aizen has transcended."

"Transcended?" queried Renji.

"Aizen is in a shinigami body and about to fight a god. It would be suicide to do so without first according him his birthright powers." the noble explained.

"So," said the redhead, in a sarcastic tone, "You're going to take the most dangerous shinigami to ever walk the three worlds, power him up and let him kill the king? Why the hell did we even fight that stupid war with him and the Espadas, if we were just gonna turn around and let him do what he was planning to do, before it was the right thing?"

"Renji," sighed Aizen, "Do not attempt to think too much on it. You will only give yourself a headache, and will be none the wiser for it. Just keep your sword ready and your mouth closed and do what your captain tells you to do."

Renji scowled.

"It's a good thing you didn't suggest I listen to you," he said unhappily, "It might be his duty to see you crowned, but it's not mine. I'm not thrilled about the idea of you being in charge of things, you know? You might just set us all up in war games and let us kill each other...play with the weather and kill us with storms for fun...or send..."

"Enough, Renji," Byakuya said reprovingly, "I do not feel entirely happy about this either. But since our lives our going to depend on us working together, we must end our bickering and prepare. You and Yuji should go and dress in those attendant's uniforms in the recess over there. If they don't look too closely..."

"They might not notice that one of our 'attendants' has very widely noted and recognizable tattoos," suggested Aizen.

"The clothing will cover them, for the most part, but we should endeavor to not be seen in the first place."

"Easier said than done, I am afraid," said Yuji.

"Well, the other option is just letting that regent guy kill my friend," said Renji, "I might not like Aizen, but Tetsuya is a good friend."

Yuji smiled and shook his head.

"You know, Sousuke Aizen," he said, smirking, "With as many enemies as you have made, I think that you'll be glad to have a consort as likable as your Tetsuya. Perhaps it will make your subjects that much less likely to want to overthrow you."

"Or just kill you," Renji muttered.

"Come," said Byakuya, turning back towards the door to the spirit dimension, "We need to find Tetsuya."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh...ugh," Tetsuya sighed, his stomach lurching as he rolled over and blinked in the early morning light.

Arashi stirred and nickered, nuzzling him sympathetically as the noble rubbed his pregnant abdomen and groaned again. A moment later, he lurched to his feet and flash stepped out of the cave. He stumbled away to a secluded, shaded and grassy area and dropped to his knees, retching. He almost fell over as a flare of his reiatsu swelled around him, snapping and making the air hum around him.

_Kami, I need to get that under control or the king will..._

He lost his train of thought as he heaved again, his reiatsu making the ground rumble softly. He focused on his sparking spirit centers and tried to calm them as the nausea began to ease. He remained there for several minutes before regaining his composure, and rising onto somewhat rubbery legs to return to the cave. He found that he was alone and Arashi had gone out to graze. But someone, perhaps the lady spirit who had helped him to escape, had left an offering of fresh fruit in the cave, near where he had been sleeping. Oddly, though he had felt awful just a short time before, he devoured the fruit quickly, then left the cave and found Arashi where he was grazing in a nearby meadow. He joined the stallion in the shade, under an old oak tree, kneeling at the edge of a stream to gather cold water in his hands to drink. He drank deeply, then climbed onto the stallion's back and looked around.

_What do I do now? Where do I go? The king will send people after me. And with my power flares, I will keep giving myself away. Sooner or later, he is going to find me. I need to search for Sousuke, but I have no idea where to begin! All useful information is going to be in the palace, and I only just escaped from that place._

He looked around again, considering, then turned Arashi towards another cave he saw in the distance.

_I will have to keep moving while I adjust to my powers and reconnect with my zanpakutou. I cannot let the king's forces find me._

Arashi turned a worried eye on him and nipped gently at his leg.

_Your reiatsu is unstable, Master. The power flares are not good for you. You need to be careful not to overextend yourself._

"I will not overdo it," Tetsuya promised, "I will rest more as soon as we are safely moved on to that cave."

The stallion tossed his head nervously, but broke into a gentle trot, determined to see that no harm came to his master.

_But I do not know whether the greater concern is his health or the ones who might follow. The king was reckless, making him transcend while in this state._

"I will be all right, Arashi," Tetsuya said, sensing the stallion's discomfort and patting him on the neck, "But let's be off. I am anxious to escape this valley."

Arashi looked back at the entrance to the valley they were in, then continued on, no less worried about what was going to happen to Tetsuya.


	18. Call of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen is shocked by what he finds when he is reunited with Tetsuya.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Many hearts have called to mine, yet I could hear none. I stood in the rain and let it drench me, yet I could not slake my thirst. But for just a moment, everything went still inside. And in the deep silence in that faraway place, your voice came to me in a whisper. You are the one who was promised, the one whose heart gives life to mine. And I will seek you to the ends of heaven and beyond, so do I long for you._

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya held his breath as he opened the door into the spirit dimension and looked through. The king's archive was silent and still, and the place had been darkened for the night. He breathed a sigh of relief at that, and nodded to Renji, who followed him, on silent feet into the room. They closed the door behind them, then stood in the half-light, their eyes wary, waiting for the door to open and for Aizen to enter. The door opened a moment later, admitting Aizen and Yuji, making Renji shake his head and whisper into Byakuya's ear.

"I guess it's a cold, hard fact now, ne? He's the king. Damn, does that ever mess with my head!"

"What was that?" Aizen asked softly, closing the archive door.

"Nothing," muttered Renji, taking up a position to Byakuya's right, away from the heir, "Just thinking out loud."

"Well, think more silently, then," Aizen responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Come this way," Byakuya directed them.

"Isn't the door out just right there?" asked Yuji, pointing.

"Yes," answered the noble, "However, we need a way to move about the palace in secrecy. Servants of the palace use a series of concealed passageways to move about more swiftly. We can use these passages, provided we are cautious. At night, there will be less chance of being discovered, but some attendants do have to tend to matters then, so we may encounter them."

"If we do, then I will simply hypnotize them," Aizen offered.

"We should try to avoid them and use that avenue as a last resort. If..."

Footsteps sounded outside the archive door, sending the four into the hidden passage that Byakuya opened. The door closed behind them, just as the archive doors opened, and two attendants ran into the room.

"Sheesh, Lord Fumio is in a ghastly temper, ne?"

"Be quiet and help me find that reference book! He'll have us both whipped if we don't get back quickly."

Within the hidden passage, Byakuya lit a small kido light and led the group away. They moved through the passages slowly, listening carefully and relying on Byakuya to lead them."

"How is it that you can use these passages?" Yuji asked, at one point.

"I too, am a servant of the king," said the noble, "And when I am called to perform research for the royal council, it expedites my trips between the archive, council hall, throne room and my quarters much more quickly."

"Ah, I see."

The group paused and went silent as a soft, sniffing sound reached them. Byakuya motioned for the others to wait, and moved forward, where a few steps later, he found a young man concealed in a dark corner, trying to remain out of sight. He stepped closer, studying the youth and recognizing him, then cautiously spoke his name.

"Akio?"

The young man caught his breath and went wide-eyed at seeing him.

"L-lord Byakuya?" he said in a trembling voice, rising and backing away.

"What is wrong?" the noble asked, "Something has frightened you."

"I...I...Sir, you are supposed to be dead! A message came from the Seireitei to the council that said..."

"It was a necessary deception," Byakuya explained, "But tell me, why were you hiding in here?"

Akio wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffed again.

"W-well, I had been assigned to care for and watch the regent's consort, Lord Mitsuru. But...there is something wrong with him! Ever since he woke from his long unconsciousness, he has been different. He has no memories of who he was. And when I see them together, something just isn't right between them."

The youth stopped himself and swallowed hard.

"I...I should go. I shouldn't even be talking to you about this. The king is going to kill me when he realizes that Lord Mitsuru is gone!"

"The consort is gone?" Byakuya asked.

"Y-yes!" sobbed the quivering attendant, "I went to take him his tea...and...and when I touched him to wake him...h...his body, it..."

The youth shook so hard he collapsed onto his knees again.

Yuji looked quietly at the others, then moved forward and slipped an arm around Akio. The young man flinched and started as the others stepped into the open.

"What's going on!" he cried, "What are you all doing here in the middle of the night?"

"It's all right," Yuji assured him, "We are not your enemies, Akio."

"B-but...is that...that is Sousuke Aizen, isn't it?" Akio gasped, shrinking back.

Yuji turned so that he obscured the younger man's view of Aizen.

"Yes, that is Sousuke Aizen, but...if you are aware that there is something wrong with the regent's consort, then it must have occurred to you that other things that you believed mightn't be true, ne? So give us a chance to explain, and perhaps we can help you, Akio."

Akio took a few slow breaths, calming under the influence of Yuji's reassuring touch and calm eyes. He glanced at Byakuya, and nodded slowly, then relaxed somewhat as the others sat down with him and Byakuya began his explanation.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya shifted uncomfortably in his sleep, his stomach throbbing fitfully and sweat beading on his even paler than usual skin. He curled closer to Arashi as Re-kuhime manifested and knelt next to him, cooling his face with a wet cloth and talking to him softly. He calmed somewhat and started to drift off, sinking into a dream.

_"You sensed it before, didn't you?" Aizen asked softly, "When I threatened Byakuya and the others...you knew I had no intention, even then, of letting you live. That is why you cooperated. You didn't want to risk additional lives, especially not Byakuya's. Very commendable. I was touched by your devotion to him. I am sorry to have to be the hand that separates you from him. But it is going to require a great deal of time to find a way to free myself from the hougyoku..."_

_"Free yourself?" Tetsuya managed in a trembling voice, "You mean that you..."_

_"I no longer wish to be bound to it. It abandoned me, and now I wish to abandon it. But it will be difficult to do, and I don't want to be distracted by pursuit, or by loose ends getting in the way. Don't worry, I will make your death swift. You won't even feel it."_

_Tetsuya's eyes went wide as his own blade rose, then fell towards him in slow motion._

Tetsuya came awake with a hard, frightened cry, startling Arashi and making Re-kuhime draw back in surprise.

"Master?" she whispred, touching his arm lightly.

Tetsuya sat up, gasping and shaking, his blue eyes wide and frightened.

"Master, it was just a dream. You are safe here. I promise you."

"Oh!" Tetsuya moaned uncomfortably.

He closed his eyes as Re-kuhime wiped the sweat away from his face again. She looked down at him worriedly.

"Master, I think you are in labor."

Tetsuya shook harder and tried to slow his breathing.

"I c-can't have this baby here," he managed, "We are...alone out here! I don't know who I really am, or where to go...or how to find Sousuke. And in this dream I just had, I saw him..."

"You...saw Sousuke?"

"I...don't know how I knew it was him. I just knew. But...he...he tried to kill me! He tried to use you to kill me! Why am I seeking him? Is that true? Did he try to kill me? I don't know what to do. I don't know what's real and what's not anymore!"

He dissolved into frustrated tears, resting his head on the spirit's shoulder as she tightened her embrace around him.

_Arashi, you must return to the palace. Look for Sousuke Aizen. But...if you cannot find him, we are going to have to allow the regent king to find him. He is leaking reiatsu and weakening. I will try to stabilize him again, while you go for help._

The stallion climbed to his feet and disappeared out the cave entrance.

"Arashi!" Tetsuya cried, "Arashi, where are you...?"

He broke off and gave a guttural cry of pain. The lady spirit kept one arm wrapped around him, and rubbed his abdomen soothingly, at the same time, slowly infusing him with healing reiatsu.

"It's going to be all right. Sousuke will be here soon. He will help you, Master. You have my word."

"B-but...was that a dream I had? Or...or is that what really happened. Did he try to kill me?"

"That was a long time ago, before you really knew each other."

"But...?" Tetsuya sobbed.

"Shh...no more questions. Just relax and let yourself be calm again. You are getting riled and making yourself worse. Breathe slowly with me."

Tetsuya tried to slow his panting, and shivered again, then went taut as the reiatsu swelled suddenly inside him, and golden light flared all around his body, filling the cave with supernatural light.

"What's happening!" he cried, "I can't stop it!"

Another sharp flare made the spirit flit away to the cave entrance, leaving the struggling transcendent alone.

"You must try to bring your reiatsu back under control, Master!" Re-kuhime exclaimed, "If you go out of control, you won't just become a hollow, you could become a spirit demon!"

Tetsuya panted harder, focusing down inside, where his spirit centers were opened wide and flooded with transcendent reiatsu. His body glowed brightly and heat flashed through him like fire, making his cries rise into screams of pain.

"Master!" Re-kuhime cried in panic, backing away as the errant forces inside him swelled again, "Master!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Akio looked up at Byakuya through worried eyes as the noble finished his story and fell quiet, waiting to see what the young man's response would be. the youth remained silent for several minutes, just absorbing what had happened, then shivered and shook his head and turning his head to look at Aizen.

"So, he is the missing heir from the histories?" he queried, trying to latch onto the reality in the statement, "The regent is somehow involved in what happened to you?"

"Yes," Byakuya said, glancing at Aizen, "The regent king has been misusing his powers, and he is trying to manipulate things so that he gains the kingship's full powers."

"Akio," said Aizen, "I need you to think carefully, "You have seen the king's consort up close. You can tell us, did he look the same as before? You say that he acted strangely, but did he look different?"

Akio shook his head.

"I didn't serve him before, so I didn't see him very much then to compare. But from what I remember, he looks the same."

Byakuya shook his head in frustration.

"Perhaps they are hiding him somewhere, and will only bring him out and switch them when it is time for..."

He stopped speaking suddenly as golden light flared around Aizen and began to pulsate.

"Sousuke Aizen!" Byakuya exclaimed, "You must control your reiatsu or we are going to be discovered!"

"It isn't me," Aizen said, his eyes widening, "It's Tetsuya! There's something wrong. I can feel his thoughts...some of them."

He closed his eyes and focused as several quick images snapped across his consciousness.

"He's...he's not in the palace. He's in a cave."

Aizen came to his feet, the reiatsu around him sparking and flaring again.

"What's happening!" cried Akio.

"Remain calm and stay back...all of you!" Aizen said warningly, "I feel a pull in our connection...almost as though he tries to...!"

The others caught their breath in surprise as a pealing neigh sounded, somewhere nearby. Aizen, Byakuya and Renji tensed and exchanged quick glances.

"It's Arashi!" Aizen hissed, "You...Akio, get us to him, now!"

"What's happening?" asked Renji.

"He's gone into labor. His reiatsu and emotions are going out of control," Aizen said as Akio led the group to a hidden entrance into the gardens. Arashi burst out of the trees and Aizen swept onto his back and turned the wheeling horse back. I'll leave a trail you can follow," he called back to them. Come as quickly as you can!"

Arashi flash stepped away, leaving the rest of the group behind, and flash stepping after, as the palace alarms began to wail behind them.

"Quickly and quietly now!" he ordered the others, "We may just be able to elude them."

"That way," Akio prompted him as they ran, "There is heavier brush, more places to hide."

The others didn't hesitate, but followed as Byakuya and the youth led them on.

_XXXXXXXXXX_

Tetsuya screamed as pain roared through his body and more visions flashed in front of his eyes.

_"I may decide not to kill you," Aizen said, stroking his cheek, "It depends on how well you hold my interest."_

_He leaned forward and brought his lips close to Tetsuya's, stopping a breath away as the noble tuned his head and tried to back away._

_"What's wrong?" Aizen asked, "Don't you think I'm less likely to kill you if you feign interest in me? You should kiss me...try to engage me sexually."_

_Tetsuya stepped back again, but stopped as he encountered a rock wall behind him._

_"I know that nobles, as a rule, are not used to being seduced by peasants, but as one whose life is in peril, you should certainly consider all possible ways of enticing me into letting you live."_

_Tetsuya flinched as the other man's hands captured him and held him in place and Aizen's mouth fastened on his._

"No!" Tetsuya cried, kido exploding from his hands and striking the wall across from him.

He got onto his hands and knees and crawled towards the cave entrance, groaning as his abdomen pulsed and throbbed, and the pains grew stronger. Another vision froze him in place, his fingers digging into the rock.

_"The sandstorm has ended. We are going."_

_Tetsuya remained frozen in the back of the cave, shivering inwardly as his mind replayed Aizen's frightening warning. He tried to make the voice disappear, to force his body into motion, but could not seem to break through the wall of terror that had closed in around him. His heart raged, out of control and his head spun. His breath shortened and the air seemed to go hazy around him. He heard Aizen's voice come closer again, then felt a hand touch his shoulder._

_He heard a sobbing gasp erupt from his panicked body, and the next moment was on his feet and running out of the cave and into the desert. Some part of him realized the senselessness of what he was doing, but he seemed to have lost his ability to reason properly. An arm wrapped around his waist and he loosed a horrified scream, like one caught in a nightmare. Aizen's voice sounded in his ear and he collapsed onto his knees, drawing and releasing hard, shuddering breaths. Aizen's arms locked around him and his hands held Tetsuya's wrists firmly._

"Let me GO!" Tetsuya screamed, firing another kido blast that shook the cave and brought a shower of dust and small rocks down.

"Tetsuya!" cried a voice outside the cave.

He heard Arashi's neigh and then approaching footsteps. Recognizing the voice from the visions he was having, he shrank back and raised his hands warningly.

"Leave me alone!" he yelled, his heart pounding as he recognized the man's face from his dream, "Don't come near me! Don't take another step or I'll kill you!"

He gasped in pain as another contraction jolted his shaking body. Aizen read the opportunity and flash stepped to him, grabbing Tetsuya's wrists and placing a limiter on his powers.

"Let go! Let go!" Tetsuya sobbed, "I won't let you hurt my baby! Don't touch me, you bastard! I know you're here to kill me."

Aizen captured his tear drenched face in both hands and forced their eyes to meet. Then, his eyes widened in surprise. He touched one wet cheek questioningly.

"T-tetsuya?" he queried, "It feels like your reiatsu, but..."

"I...I am Mitsuru," Tetsuya said, shivering and staring at the large hands wrapped around his wrists, "Just...just tell me. Are you...S-sousuke?"

Aizen looked more closely and frowned.

"This is not your face, Tetsuya," he said shaking his head, "But it is you, watashi no koi. My god, what did that monster do to you?"


	19. Balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen struggles to keep Tetsuya alive as he delivers the royal heir.

XXXXXXXXXX

When you live on the knife's edge, you learn to step carefully. Move and turn slowly and do not upset the careful balance. If you do, you will not live long enough...to fall.

XXXXXXXXXX

"My god, what did that monster do to you?"

"You are a fine one to talk about monsters," Tetsuya hissed, tearing his hands free and backing away on hands and knees, "I remember your cruelty..."

"Tetsuya."

"How you played upon my darkest fears and tormented me."

"That was..."

"You and the king are both killers, aren't you?"

Aizen went quiet, gazing at Tetsuya while quickly seeing to the details.

_A reiatsu cage to hide our spiritual pressure...illusions to protect us if we are found...and something to ease his mind..._

Tetsuya remained on his hands and knees, his head lowered and his lips parted as he shivered and panted. A soft, white glow had enveloped his body, giving him a sweet, angelic look.

"I am not going to hurt you, Tetsuya."

"I do not know that name," Tetsuya whispered, flinching as though the words, themselves hurt.

"But it is your..."

"I do not know that name!" he said, more stridently, his glaring eyes flashing with power that, even under the limiter, remained dangerous.

"You may not remember it, but it is your name, Tetsuya."

"I am Mitsuru...Mitsuru, the regent king's consort."

"He did something to you that has affected your mind," Aizen surmised.

Tetsuya gasped, and his eyes went hazy as the shocking memory of Mitsuru's death returned to him.

_"Mitsuru..."_

_He froze, there at the edge of the water, looking at his reflection, and the reflection of the king's deadly expression._

_"Where did you hear that name?"_

_His eyes widened and he turned, bringing his hands up as the king's wrapped around his pale throat._

_"I meant nothing by it! I am sorry, my lord! I am...!"_

"He...killed me," Tetsuya whispered, a bead of sweat running down his face, "He strangled me and put me under the water."

"He killed his consort...Mitsuru?" Aizen asked softly.

He caught his breath as Tetsuya's reiatsu flared, easily shattering the limiter and burning against the other man's skin warningly as the noble's blue eyes flickered a threatening red and the reiatsu cage that Aizen had placed around them trembled.

"He killed ME!" Tetsuya screamed

"And then what happened?" Aizen asked calmly.

Tetsuya shivered and panted for several long moments before continuing.

"Sh-she promised..." he said dizzily, "She promised that she would never let him...use water to...to..."

"To hurt you," Aizen finished, "You mean Re-kuhime. You're telling me about your zanpakutou. This is why you have an elemental zanpakutou. So...you are remembering."

"It doesn't matter," Tetsuya said, his arms quaking where they held him up, "He killed me anyway."

_" I put you in Sousuke Aizen's path."_

"He planned everything."

"What do you mean, Tetsuya?" Aizen asked, inching closer.

_"I caused your abduction and I guided you into his arms."_

"It was all his plan. I was his plan!" the noble went on, his arm curling around his midsection as the pain flared inside him again.

"You, Tetsuya?" Aizen asked, frowning, "How do you mean?"

_" The voice speaking inside you has always been me...all along."_

"He was in my mind. His voice spoke to me...he said that it guided me."

_"I caused your heart to open to his and knew that you had been successful in luring him when he took your virginity and bonded your souls together."_

"He healed Kyouka Suigetsu and sent him to you."

"What?"

"Then...he sent me."

"Tetsuya?"

The noble's eyes lifted and met his, their sapphire mixed ominously with a hateful red.

"Don't you understand?" Tetsuya whispered, shaking his head and clenching his hands, "He placed me in your path..."

"He..."

"He watched and laughed as I slipped through your defenses. And he knew he had been successful when you took my virginity and made me pregnant."

"You couldn't have known this," Aizen said quietly, "You could never consciously do something like that, Tetsuya."

"What does it matter? I deceived you. I deceived you, I betrayed you to him, then I led you to your death."

"I didn't die, Tetsuya," Aizen said softly, reaching out to lightly caress a sweaty, tearstained cheek.

"But I..."

"You could never hurt me, Tetsuya," Aizen whispered, sliding his arms around the noble, "Tetsuya, my angel."

"A black angel," Tetsuya whispered.

"For a man who was the devil, himself," Aizen whispered back, nuzzling Tetsuya's cheek and seeking his lips, "You were the perfect gift. I am grateful."

"I was a traitor."

"No," Aizen said, smiling.

Tetsuya's eyes closed.

"That must be why my Pegasus is black and black winged."

Aizen's lips caressed Tetsuya's as his fingers traced a slender wrist and set a stronger limiter on his powers.

"Everything will be all right now, Tetsuya," he whispered, kissing Tetsuya's earlobe.

The noble's body relaxed slightly, and he rested his head against Aizen's shoulder, watching as the other man's hand caressed the bump on his abdomen.

"What happened when he brought you here, Tetsuya?" Aizen asked carefully, "Tell me everything he did, anything you remember."

"He took me into the gardens," Tetsuya sighed, "And just as he killed Mitsuru, he killed Tetsuya."

"But you are alive."

"He stole my breath, and he put me under the water again."

"Then, what happened?" Aizen asked , stroking his hair, and sending a gentle flow of stabilizing reiatsu into the noble's body.

"I...don't know, exactly. There was...something in his hand...faceted."

"The king's prism?" Aizen queried.

"I think so. Light came out of it, It wrapped around my body...and I felt like I could breathe again. There were...voices. They told me...they told me to remember..."

"Remember what?" Aizen asked, teasing Tetsuya's lips with his.

"S-sousuke," the noble answered, "They told me to remember that name."

Aizen smiled.

"Do you remember me now?"

Tetsuya's teary eyes blinked slowly, loosing one to make a new trail down one smudged cheek.

"I don't know," he said in a trembling voice, "It's strange, because I know I was Mitsuru and Tetsuya both. I have flashes of both of their memories. But...I cannot tell what is real and what isn't. Everything comes into my mind like a horrid nightmare."

"I can help you. Do you think that you can trust me?"

Tetsuya blinked again and another tear fell.

A memory rose up in his mind, this one clearer, and enough to make him smile.

_"Allow the hougyoku to transform you now...and I will make a run for the barrier."_

_"No, Sousuke! You won't get clear in time!"_

_"I set waterforms outside the barrier, Tetsuya. I will shift to one as the explosion begins. Trust me."_

_"Sousuke Aizen asks me to trust him?"_

_Aizen smiled._

_"I love you, Tetsuya. And once it is destroyed, I promise, we will find each other again."_

_"I love you too, Sousuke."_

"Sousuke Aizen asks me to trust him?" Tetsuya's lips whispered.

"I love you," Aizen whispered back, remembering, "And once that disgrace that calls himself a king...the one who dared to steal, and not once, but twice kill my beloved...is dead, you and I will be together again, this time not in secret. We will live here, in the palace, walk in those lovely gardens every day, and we will lie down together and surrender to our deepest desires each night. The nightmares will end, and all that we desire, we will make real, Tetsuya."

"Such bold promises," Tetsuya said wearily, "So early in the fight. You are a belligerent man, Sousuke."

"Belligerent?" Aizen said, smiling and easing the younger man down on his back, "I would call it simple realism. Relax now, it's time."

"Time...?" Tetsuya repeated dazedly, "What is happening? It burns inside. It hurts, Sousuke."

"Our baby is coming."

Aizen's hands carefully bared his brightly glowing abdomen.

"Our baby? He said that it was his."

"He was lying. This is our baby, yours and mine, Tetsuya."

"He is looking for us. When he finds us, he will kill us and take our baby," the younger man warned Aizen.

"No," Aizen answered calmly, "When he finds us, I will destroy him."

"For stealing your throne?"

"For laying hands on you."

Tetsuya yielded him a tentative smile.

"You confuse me, Sousuke," he whispered, entangling their fingers together, "I remember the demon you were, but the face you show me now could never be demonic."

Aizen laughed softly and leaned down to whisper in the noble's ear again.

"Because that face is an illusion," he breathed, brushing his lips against Tetsuya's soft earlobe, "I am a demon. But haven't you begun to understand, Tetsuya? A demon needs an angel to balance his evil."

"I am no angel," whispered Tetsuya, "He tainted me...blackened my soul. He twisted me and spun the darkness all around me."

"But there was one part of you he could not touch, ne? One part of you that still shined blindingly and remained pure through everything. He may have used you for wicked purposes, but it is this one part of you that will turn it back on him and undo all of his plans."

Aizen's hand came to rest on Tetsuya's breast, over his pounding heart.

"This one part of you will see you through everything if you trust it."

"There is that word again...trust. It sounds strange, coming from your lips, Sousuke."

"Yes," Aizen agreed, "Life does love irony, doesn't it?"

He squeezed Tetsuya's hand.

"Are you all right, now? I gave you a pain block."

"I am fine, now," Tetsuya replied calmly, his eyes on his glowing abdomen.

He looked up as four people passed through the barrier Aizen had set.

"Akio?" Tetsuya said questioningly, gazing up at the youth.

"Tetsuya," said a dark haired man, who stood next to the attendant.

Tetsuya looked back at him blankly, feeling a sense that he should know the man, but not able to make a connection.

"The regent interfered with his memories," Aizen explained as the four joined them, "I will return them, but not while he is in such a state. We must see to the birth of our child, first."

"Of course," Byakuya said, nodding and taking Tetsuya's other hand.

He squeezed Tetsuya's hand gently and met his cousin's dark blue eyes. Then, he blinked and stared in confusion. Renji and Yuji had a similar reaction.

"It seems that the regent also changed his face," Aizen added.

"Ah," said Byakuya, understanding flooding his gray eyes, "so that people would think that he was the regent's consort."

"And so he was," Aizen answered, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked, "This is Tetsuya. His face is different, but his reiatsu...his body is..."

"Yes," agreed Aizen, "This is how he fooled the secret mobile corps into thinking that body they found was Tetsuya's. Tetsuya was born from the consort, Mitsuru's soul...when the regent killed him and sent his soul into the cycle of rebirth. He kept the soulless body alive and in stasis for years, telling everyone that he would awaken."

"Stasis," repeated Renji, "So...he kept the guy's body alive and then switched them? But Tetsuya was pregnant."

"So was Mitsuru...and the stasis preserved the soulless child," said Aizen.

"And because Mitsuru was transcendent and the royal consort, when he was born as the shinigami, Tetsuya, he retained his reiatsu and genetic code," Byakuya concluded, shaking his head.

"Sounds like that guy is no fool," commented Renji.

"He's the worst kind of fool," Aizen said in a low, ominous voice, "He is the fool who thought that he could best me. He is wrong. And it is going to cost him everything."

"Yeah, if he doesn't catch us here with our pants down," Renji laughed sarcastically, "With the trail you left us and the power blowing around here..."

"He won't sense it," Aizen said with perfect confidence, "We are safe from discovery, for now. The fool could walk in here himself, and he would not sense us."

"Then, if you're so 'all-powerful,' said the redhead, "Then, why don't you just go out and kill the bastard...sneak up on him and...?"

"He has to transcend," Byakuya reminded him, "Only then, can he kill the regent."

"Enough chatter," said Aizen, looking down at Tetsuya's tired eyes, "The four of you keep him stable. I will deliver the baby."

All eyes watched closely as Aizen bent over Tetsuya's abdomen, smiling as he laid his hands there and let his reiatsu swell around them. He let his reiatsu sink down slowly into Tetsuya's glowing belly, and wrapped it around the tiny spirit cluster inside him.

"It's not too early for him to be born?" asked Renji.

"No," Byakuya whispered back, "It seems that Tetsuya's transcendence has affected it. The baby will be fine."

They turned their eyes back to watch as Aizen's reiatsu curled around the cluster and very slowly pulled upward. Tetsuya caught his breath, panting harshly as the reiatsu passed through his opened abdomen, where the flesh seemed to have lost its cohesion. He groaned and tightened his hands on the ones that held them, the awful aches and throbs of pain lessening as the cluster passed out of his body and was freed. The six men watched in awed silence as the glowing cluster pulsed and quivered, then flared even more brightly and began to change. Out of the light came a small, pale body with blue eyes, tiny, grasping fingers and...

"Oh boy," Renji said, shaking his head and unable to stop his amused smile, "We're in trouble now."

Byakuya let out a very soft laugh and reached out to touch the tiny brown curl on the baby's forehead.

"We have a son," Aizen whispered, gazing raptly down into the infant's wide, blue eyes and smiling at the fingers that curled questingly around one of his, "We have a son, Tetsuya."

Byakuya moved in behind his exhausted cousin, lifting him and helping him sit up next to Aizen. Tetsuya rested his head against his lover's shoulder, looking down at the baby and smiling wearily.

"Perfect," Aizen whispered, turning his head to kiss his soul bonded, "I have never seen anything so lovely...not since the day I first saw you."


	20. Sunshine on Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya undertakes a frightening mission to help Sousuke win the crown.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Sunshine on snow captures the eyes...a flickering, glittering hypnotic prize. It stimulates and delights the mind, but fascinates and leaves them blind._

XXXXXXXXXX

Seeing that the signs of residual discomfort had left Tetsuya's body, Aizen carefully extracted the infant from his sleeping lover's arms and carried him back to where the others waited. They sat close together to ward off the chill, and smiled down at the lovely, cooing infant, enjoying a brief moment of beauty and calm amidst the growing danger of their situation.

"We need to get him out of here," said Aizen, gazing down into his son's blinking eyes, "I want both of them taken to safety before I face the king."

"Are you sure that it is wise to face the king on your own?" asked Byakuya, "After all, you will have to find a way to transcend."

"And that's not going to be easy," added Renji, "Remember what he did at that hideout."

"I have not forgotten," said Aizen, "But there is no way that Tetsuya is up to assisting me. He has just given birth, and add to that, the fact of his being forced into transcendence."

"But the consort is meant to support the powers of the king," Byakuya objected, "For you to proceed without him will rob you of additional strength that could prove costly in the final battle."

"It would be more costly still to rely on him in battle when it is clear that he has been deprived of his senses."

"I would have said that he had already taken leave of his senses some time ago when he bonded with you," Byakuya said, raising an eyebrow, "But even damaged as he is, Tetsuya is still powerful enough to fight for you, and unlikely to allow the father of his child to die while he is still breathing."

Aizen turned a curious eye on the noble and gazed at him questioningly.

"I was under the impression, Byakuya, that Tetsuya was your favored cousin. But if that is so, why are you so willing to throw him into harm's way again when he is not right in his mind?"

"I will admit that Tetsuya is confused, but he is still formidable. And this situation does center around his fate as well as your own. You will want to include him in your plans. And as we have appreciable power that will be useful, you should accept assistance from Renji and me as well."

Aizen glanced back at Tetsuya, frowning thoughtfully.

"I don't want Tetsuya involved in this," he said firmly, "Akio and Yuji can evacuate Tetsuya and the baby to the Kuchiki family library. The rest of us will first explore how to get our hands on the king's prism and then find a way to gain access to the healing pool in the king's gardens."

"But you do not know what you will need to do with the prism, how to activate it and..."

"We will infiltrate the king's archive and look for information there. Kyouka Suigetsu will cover our motions. We don't need to involve Tetsuya, so we will not."

He turned to Yuji and Akio.

"I will instruct Kyouka Suigetsu to make you invisible to them. Take Tetsuya back to the Kuchiki archive and care for them there until you hear from us. And if anything should go wrong, you are to take Tetsuya and the child and conceal them. Whatever happens, I do not want that man to lay a hand on either one of them."

"I understand," said Yuji, nodding, "I will make sure that nothing befalls Tetsuya or your child."

Aizen waited as Yuji lifted Tetsuya, then set the baby in Akio's arms and invoked his zanpakutou's power.

"If you encounter trouble, Tetsuya is capable of calling on Kyouka Suigetsu's powers as well as his own. That could be a very large advantage if you are in danger of being discovered," suggested Aizen.

He turned towards the cave entrance, not seeing as one of Tetsuya's eyes opened and studied him for a moment, then closed again.

"Go now," Aizen said quietly, "The sooner Tetsuya and the baby reach safety, the sooner we can resolve this."

He moved to sit down with Byakuya and Renji, turning his mind to the making of their plans as Yuji and Akio exited the cave, bearing their respective charges.

Tetsuya kept his body limp and pliant as Yuji carried him back towards the palace. But although his body rested, his mind was highly active.

_He said that I have command of Kyouka Suigetsu..._

_And he removed the power limiter I wore before, so I am not without my own powers. Sousuke needs me to defeat the regent, whether he wants to admit it or not. And given that the voices of the past kings spoke to me and told me not to forget him, I think that I am meant, not just to remember him, but to defend him._

He focused deeply, reaching out for the presence he had sensed when Aizen had used his powers to hide the four of them from the guards' eyes.

_Kyouka Suigetsu...?_

There was a long pause, then he felt the touch of the zanpakutou's spirit.

_Master Tetsuya._

Tetsuya thought carefully.

_Your master, my soul bonded, is in very real danger, and although I know that he believes he does not need my help, he truly does. To help him, I will need you. Will you help me?_

There was a long hesitation, then came the zanpakutou's soft answer.

_My master is a prideful man. This would not be the first time his instincts were wrong. However, his confidence in our power is reasonable._

Tetsuya considered the sword's reply for a moment.

_I am not questioning his abilities, but his strategy. He needs to gain access to the king's prism and the healing pool to be successful. In addition to that, he needs to know how to use them. Having me on the inside would be a great advantage...and this is an advantage he ignores for emotional reasons._

He could have sworn that he heard a soft laugh.

_You mean because he worries what that man would do to you? He should be concerned. The regent has already made quite a mess of you. And my master is right to be concerned about you extending yourself when you have just given birth. He..._

Tetsuya's next words struck the zanpakutou forcefully.

_I have not remembered everything yet, but I do remember that you were deeply hurt when your master abandoned you at a time of great need...at a critical moment when his fate was on the line._

Tetsuya waited, letting the thought sink into Kyouka Suigetsu's mind. For a time, there was no answer. But when it finally came, the words made Tetsuya smile.

_Once again, you prove that you are very perceptive, Master Tetsuya. My master does have the tendency to reduce his own chances by refusing to accept help from others. He has sent you away from him because he does not want you hurt. But to win this battle, he will need us at his side._

_Yes_ , Tetsuya agreed, _so this is what we will do. I want you to make me appear as though I am still pregnant._

_What?_

_I will return to the palace and place myself close to the regent. I will finesse from him the information we need...how the prism works and where he keeps it. When the time comes, I will assist Sousuke in reaching the healing pool and making his transition into transcendence._

_But_ , the zanpakutou objected, _the regent knows that you ran from him._

_Yes, but he does not know that I have aligned myself with Sousuke. He thinks I was running blindly because I was afraid. I want him to keep that impression. Make me appear disheveled and still pregnant. Trust me, Kyouka Suigetsu, this will ensure that you and I are both there with Sousuke when this situation becomes critical._

Kyouka Suigetsu went quiet again for a time, then quietly manifested and set an illusion in Yuji's arms, freeing Tetsuya, then cloaking him in the illusion he had requested. Tetsuya looked up at the manifested spirit with a grateful expression.

"Thank you," he said, smiling, "You are doing the right thing."

"I hope so," said the spirit, his green eyes fixing on Tetsuya, "My master does not prefer to trust others when it comes to his fate. But I can't help but trust you. I have witnessed firsthand how quickly you would lay down your life to defend him. And although he resists such a thing, I think that, facing this man, he should not. But be very careful, Master Tetsuya. And call on me at once if things begin to go wrong. I will get you out."

"I will," Tetsuya promised.

He watched as the spirit slowly faded from view, then reached out with his senses, searching for the regent's presence. He sensed the man in the king's gardens and made his way carefully in that direction. He concealed himself within the trees, watching as the regent conferred with his guardsmen.

"You are not to stop searching until he is found! Everything rests upon this."

"Yes, my lord!" said the guard, bowing, then flash stepping away.

Tetsuya took a steadying breath as the troubled regent shook his head in frustration and glared down at the healing pool.

"This is all for nothing if I cannot legitimate myself! I need..."

He broke off, staring, as Tetsuya stumbled out of the trees angled towards him.

"Mitsuru..." he breathed.

Tetsuya's blue eyes met his wearily.

"My lord," Tetsuya said, his voice trembling, "I am...s-sorry. I..."

He started to say more, but broke off and swayed unsteadily. The regent flash stepped forward and captured the younger man as his legs gave way. He lifted Tetsuya into his arms and kissed him gently on the lips as he carried him back to the healing pool. Tetsuya felt a shiver of dark memory as the regent set him on his feet and undressed him, smiling down at his pregnant belly, then undressing and accompanying him into the pool. Tetsuya sank down into the warm, soothing waters, closing his eyes and curling into the king's arms.

"I looked everywhere for you, Mitsuru," the regent whispered, kissing him on the forehead and rubbing his abdomen gently under the water, "Why? Why did you leave me? Why do you always seem to leave me?"

"I am sorry, my lord," Tetsuya answered, lacing his fingers together with the king's, "I was...confused. And I was afraid. I am still both of those things. But...you are the only one with answers. And you are the only one who can protect me. I didn't understand before...but...I do now."

The regent's hands captured Tetsuya's face, and he gazed down into the younger man's eyes searchingly.

"Everything I have done, I have done for us, Mitsuru," he said quietly, "I want for us to be happy together. But for that to happen, you must promise that you will never leave me again. I was so worried!"

"Again, I am sorry, my lord," Tetsuya answered, "I only left because I was afraid. I remembered you...you hurt me. You...held me under the water."

"I know. But I did not let you die. I gave you new life, then I sent you to perform an important task. But now that it is done, we only need bring this child into the world, and I will be confirmed as the rightful king. Everything I have done has been so that we would be joined to rule the three worlds together. That is our fate, Mitsuru."

"Yes, my lord," Tetsuya answered softly.

He suppressed a shiver as the king's hand slid down to touch him more intimately.

_If I resist him, he will know..._

Tetsuya moaned softly, his lips warm and responsive as the regent kissed him more passionately and his fingers began to prepare him for intercourse. Tetsuya winced and groaned, reaching down to rub his abdomen and panting softly. The regent rubbed his back gently and shook his head.

"I must take you back to our bed and you must rest, Mitsuru," he said softly, "I won't let anything happen to you or our baby now that everything is in place."

_Kyouka Suigetsu, I have to convince him that my condition is tenuous._

The regent stood and helped Tetsuya to his feet, then the two dried off and dressed. The regent wrapped an arm around the consort and turned him in the direction of the palace. Tetsuya took several steps with him, then groaned and collapsed, clutching his abdomen.

"Mitsuru!" the regent called urgently.

His glaring eyes found the nearest guardsman.

"Go and bring Hideo!"

Tears came to Tetsuya's widened eyes and he clung to the regent's hand.

"My lord," he whispered, his voice breaking, "I am sorry. If I hadn't left the palace..."

"Hush now," Toru said soothingly, caressing Tetsuya's hands and face, "Hideo will set you right again. Rest, Mitsuru. You will be all right."

"Don't make me sleep," Tetsuya pleaded softly, "If I sleep, I may not wake again. It could be like before!"

The regent pulled Tetsuya close and held him tightly.

"Don't be afraid, Mitsuru. I won't let anything happen to you or our baby. Be calm now. It is safe for you to sleep, now. I promise you will wake again soon."

Tetsuya tried to speak again, but a soft jolt of the regent's power left him senseless. Hideo flash stepped out of the palace doors and into the gardens, dropping to his knees at the consort's side. He examined Tetsuya quickly and frowned.

"Is the baby in danger?" asked the regent in a strident tone, "You must not let this child die! Whatever you have to do, keep the baby alive."

Hideo gave him a guarded look.

"And Mitsuru?" he asked meaningfully.

The king gazed down at his consort's troubled face.

"Do your best to keep him alive...but...if a choice must be made, save the child."

He gave the unnerved healer a look of warning.

"It is what Mitsuru would want."

"I understand," said the healer, gently lifting Tetsuya and starting towards the palace.

He stopped as the king's hand took hold of his arm.

"Hideo, if he begins to decline, you will sustain his body as you did before."

"Yes, my lord," the healer answered.

Hideo flash stepped into the palace and carried Tetsuya into the infirmary, where he conducted a more thorough examination.

"Ah," he said, sounding relieved, "just a reiatsu imbalance."

He touched Tetsuya's face gently.

"Poor thing," he whispered, "He has not been gentle with you. You and the baby will be all right. But you must rest."

He summoned another healer.

"Stay here and keep his reiatsu stable. If he wakes, encourage him to eat, but keep him on bed rest. He could miscarry if he encounters too much stress."

He left the infirmary and started back towards the gardens, where he found the regent waiting.

"Well?" Toru asked quickly.

"He is stable, for now. But, my lord, if you want him to bear a healthy child, you must not let him come under stress or be injured again while he is still pregnant. I am ordering him to stay on bed rest and to refrain from anything that could upset his physical state."

"Ah...good thinking."

"That includes sexual activity, my lord," the healer added.

"Hmmm, disappointing," the regent muttered, "but understood. Put him in our bed and have him attended at all times."

"As you wish, my lord."

XXXXXXXXXX

Yuji produced the token that Byakuya had given him and opened the door to the Kuchiki family archive. He moved aside to let Akio pass, then followed him in, carrying Tetsuya. He set the sleeping noble down in the bed in the recess at the back of the archive. Akio sat down on the sofa in the recess and held the baby close.

"It's sad they didn't give him a name yet," said the youth.

"Well," sighed Yuji, "Sousuke wanted to wait until Tetsuya was recovered enough to really be involved in the decision."

He looked back at the sleeping form in the bed.

"I just hope that Tetsuya is all right. The regent has put him through a terrible ordeal."

He walked back to the bed and sat down next to Tetsuya.

"I wish that I could..."

He paused, looking at Tetsuya again and frowning.

"What is it?" asked Akio.

"I don't know exactly," answered Yuji, studying Tetsuya more carefully, "Something..."

He froze as he remembered.

_Sousuke said that Tetsuya and he could use each other's powers..._

He looked more closely still, and came to a chilling conclusion. His eyes widened and he came to his feet and started towards the door into the spirit dimension.

"What's wrong?" cried Akio.

Yuji made a sound of dismay as he encountered the door and remembered that he could not enter without Aizen or Byakuya.

"That isn't Tetsuya Kuchiki!" he said, his fists striking the door in frustration.

"What? But..."

"He must have heard us talking! He heard that he could use Aizen's powers and he went back to the regent."

"But, why would he do that?"

"I am not sure," said Yuji, "But I think he intends to steal the king's prism! We have to warn the others, but I can't enter the spirit dimension this way."

"But I can," said Akio, "I am a servant in the palace."

"No, you said that the regent would punish you for Tetsuya escaping."

Akio shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he insisted, "So what if I take some punishment. Someone needs to tell Sousuke Aizen that Tetsuya has returned to the regent. I will go to him. I will find him and tell him!"

Yuji hesitated, staring at the youth and frowning, but finally nodded.

"Very well," he said quietly, "but let me do something to protect you first."

He bent and used his reiatsu to draw a small symbol on the floor, then drew the same symbol on the youth's palm.

"If you get into trouble, just focus on that symbol, and you will be transported back here."

Akio nodded.

"Go then," said Yuji, "I will watch over the child."

He watched as Akio left, then gathered the baby into his arms and held him close. The baby opened his blue eyes and began to fuss.

"There now," Yuji said, sitting down and rocking the baby gently, "Your parents will be back soon."

_I wonder what my brother's child would have looked like, had he been born._

_Yasu...I wish that you could have lived._

He glanced over at the illusion of Tetsuya that rested on the bed.

_But you were a hero...a valiant soul._

_I only hope that this child's bearer does not follow you in that path..._


	21. Breath of Deception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen and Tetsuya begin their move to overthrow the king.

XXXXXXXXXX

_A beautiful thing, crafted by you to fool another. Loosed to walk his wicked way and drawn back to you when it was done. But didn't you notice when you spun your web around me...you too were entwined._

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya woke in the middle of the night and found that the regent had returned to their bed and wound himself around the young noble's body, resting his hand on the illusory bump on Tetsuya's abdomen.

_It is lucky that his attachment is to the power he desires and not so much to me or there would be a greater risk of him sensing this deception._

He gazed out the open balcony doors, surprised that the regent had let down his guard so much, but then quickly spotted a sentry near the doors.

 _He is not going to take chances. After all, he is very invested in this child. His claim to leadership rests on this and he will defend it with everything he has...ruthlessly_.

He shivered, thinking about the lengths to which the king had already gone to manipulate everyone involved, to set Aizen up to die and to erase the information that would incriminate him.

And suddenly, it occurred to him...

_I remember!_

_Sousuke said that he could restore my memories...and it seems that as he helped me to bear our child, he also brought back what was stolen from me. And things are more clear now. I may have been Mitsuru once, but I am truly Tetsuya, even having evolved into transcendence. All that died was my shinigami body. My soul that had been born as Tetsuya survived the transcendence ritual. That is why when I transcended, the king had to conceal my face. He wants everyone, even me to believe that I am the Mitsuru of old, and that the child is his._

_I must not interfere with his perception of that. In fact...I must let him believe that he has convinced me..._

_What then, will do that?_

_And what will make him give me the information I need about the king's prism?_

The regent stirred softly, sliding his hand down to fondle Tetsuya's warm, flaccid privates.

_There is no love in this man's touch...only possessiveness. Sousuke's hands are also possessive, but I feel the passion in them when he touches me. Even without words, I would know which man was truly my lover._

The thought comforted Tetsuya, even as he laid, wrapped in his enemy's arms. He took a steadying breath, thinking carefully and slowly forming a plan. He waited until the regent's sleep lightened, then closed his eyes and began to move uncomfortably in Toru's arms. The regent's eyes opened as Tetsuya's feverish voice rose up in fearful exclamation.

"L-let me go! Let me go, you monster!" he gasped shakenly, "I won't let you take it from him! N-no...no!"

He sat up suddenly, his blue eyes wide and filled with terror.

"Toru! Toru, help me!" he cried, senselessly.

"Mitsuru!" the regent exclaimed, sitting up and recapturing his shivering consort, "Mitsuru, it is all right. You were just dreaming. Lie down."

Tetsuya clung to the regent tightly, burying his face in the man's shoulder and shuddering. The hands holding him seemed to waver oddly for a moment, then gentled and became more comforting.

"There now, I've reassured you it is just a dream."

"I w-wasn't sure," Tetsuya said in a trembling voice as the regent captured his tearstained face and looked into his guileless expression, "It was him. He took hold of me and he said that he would kill me if I did not do as he said...that whether I remembered him or not, I belonged to him...and I would have to help him find...something! But...I don't know what he wants! Are you sure that it is not real? That he does not have some sort of connection with me, even now?"

Toru sighed softly, kissing his lips gently.

"Aizen Sousuke is dead," he said softly, "And even if he wasn't, he would not be able to take anything from us."

"B-but what would he have been after? What is it that...?"

"Hush now. Rest. You went through quite an ordeal, entering transcendence and becoming lost as you did, Mitsuru. But you are home now. Your home is here...in my arms, as it always has been. Aizen Sousuke is gone and we are going to rule the three worlds together as soon as this child you carry is born and legitimated."

Tetsuya sniffed softly, catching his breath as the regent's fingers brushed his tears away. Toru's mouth sought his again, and he brought Tetsuya down onto his back as they kissed. Tetsuya's heart pounded fitfully.

_I cannot let him take me. There is no way that I could feign loving this man. I would never be able to live with myself..._

_What do I do?_

Toru's mouth attacked his throat hungrily and his hands explored Tetsuya's body, again conveying a sense of him establishing dominance, rather than pleasuring.

"Mitsuru, my love, I know that you are not able to allow me to make love to you, but, darling, I need you! If only with the touch of your hand, could you return my affections?" he sighed.

Tetsuya shivered as his hand was captured and brought down to wrap around Toru's thick, damp erection. The regent groaned languidly at the touch of that soft, slender hand, and kept his own wrapped around it, seemingly content to direct and control, rather than seeking his willingness. Despite his resolve to help Aizen, Tetsuya's stomach quailed at being made to touch someone he did not love.

_Kami, I do not have what it takes to be deceptive when it comes to love and lovemaking. What was I thinking?_

_What do I do?_

_How do I stop him?_

He started to speak, but was stopped by a hot, thrusting tongue that plunged in between his lips and curled around his in that same, suffocating, possessive way. Tetsuya made a sound of discomfort, hoping that Toru would stop, but was shaken again as the regent continued the heavy kissing and thrust more eagerly into his stroking hand. Toru moaned into his mouth, panting harshly as his pleasure crested. He shifted suddenly, rising up over Tetsuya and letting his seed spill out onto the noble's bare chest and rounded belly. Then, he pulled away and bent over the stunned man and slowly licked his own release off of Tetsuya's skin.

"I wish that I could return the pleasure that you just gave me, my lovely Mitsuru, but your healer insists it would be dangerous to the baby to rile you. I apologize."

He lifted himself and started to move to kiss Tetsuya again, but was interrupted as the door flew open and Akira dashed into the room. He slid to a stop, meeting Tetsuya's relieved eyes for a moment and giving the faintest of nods.

"What do you want, you little roach!" snapped the regent.

"I-I am s-sorry, my lord!" Akira panted, "But I heard Lord Mitsuru making odd noises and his reiatsu felt disturbed. I only meant to..."

"He is fine," the regent said, waving off the rest of the youth's words.

Suddenly overcome by how close he had come to betraying Aizen with his enemy, Tetsuya felt illness finally take hold of him, and he turned and threw up into the trash can beside the bed. His body seized again, and he felt Toru's arm wrap around him, keeping him from falling onto the floor as he retched violently until he was seeing stars.

"I-I'm sorry!" he gasped, swaying dizzily.

_I really cannot conceive of giving any part of myself to anyone but Sousuke. And to this man, least of all! He is horrid! That he put his hands on me...that he...ugh!_

"Not to worry," said the regent, tolerantly, "You are with child and having strong symptoms. You should rest now. I must go."

He glared at Akira.

"This one has annoyed me and I owe him for the displeasure."

"M-my lord!" Tetsuya said, scrambling to the edge of the bed as the regent moved to rise, "Please, do not be harsh with him. He has...been very kind to me. I...do not think that I would have recovered so much if not for his attention to my care. I am sure he is sorry for annoying you...and that he will endeavor not to put you out of sorts again."

"Ah...very well," sighed Toru, dropping back down onto the bed, "If it pleases my Mitsuru, I will let his transgression go this time. Akira, take my consort and give him a warm bath, then have Hideo come and examine him."

"Y-yes, my lord!" Akira said, moving to the bed and helping Tetsuya to his feet.

The two left the bedroom and moved into the bathing room, where Akira paused for a moment, looking at Tetsuya.

"With your permission, sir."

"Of course," Tetsuya said, nodding.

Akira undressed Tetsuya, then himself, then tied a wrap around his waist and followed the consort out to the warm waterfall, where Tetsuya stood, washing the saliva and slight remains of Toru's seed from his skin and wishing he could remove the memory of being touched by the man. He flinched at first at even Akira's touch, but then quieted and let the youth wash him thoroughly from head to toe.

"Thank you for saving me from a beating," Akira said under his breath, "King Toru is very brutal."

"But why did you come back?" asked Tetsuya, "I thought that you were sent with Yuji Iitoku to care for our baby."

"Yuji realized that you had used Sousuke Aizen's power to slip away from us. He worried that you were planning to return to the king, and so he sent me back to inform Master Aizen of your plans."

Tetsuya swallowed hard.

"Is Sousuke very angry?" he asked softly.

"Erm...admittedly, yes," Akira said , shaking his head, "His reiatsu was almost crushing when I told him. And he sent me at once to make contact with you and to try to convince you to abandon your plans. But, seeing the amount of security around you...the precautions that King Toru is taking...I do not know that escape is possible. So I will stay close to you and help you as much as I can."

"Thank you, Akira," Tetsuya said gratefully, "I think you are right that his majesty will not take any chances of me wandering away again. So we will make the most of my being here."

"But...Master Tetsuya, it seems King Toru is...erm...rather persistent in pursuing intimacy with you. And when I entered the room, it seemed that you were not handling his advances so well."

"I will manage King Toru," Tetsuya insisted, "The healer has already impressed upon him that we should not have sexual intercourse until after the 'birth.' I am safe from that for now. And the rest, I shall simply have to endure as best I can. But you must be careful, Akira. I do not want him to become violent with you. He has proven now that he will not hesitate to kill anyone who crosses him. He won't kill me as long as he believes that I carry the heir..."

He broke off as the king entered the bathing room and walked to the edge of the water. Tetsuya forced a smile and returned to the water's edge, quietly accepting a deep, penetrating kiss from the man.

"I must attend a council meeting," Toru informed him, touching his face gently, "I will not be long, but will you wait for me in the gardens?"

"Y-yes, my lord," Tetsuya said, nodding briefly, "Of course."

The regent sank his fingers into Tetsuya's hair and kissed him more passionately.

"Hmmm, I do not know what it is, Mitsuru, but it seems that you are more attractive to me by the moment. It will be difficult, I think, holding back from making love to you until the baby comes...ah, but it seems I must persevere. But, I am sure that we will manage."

"Yes, my lord," Tetsuya replied, blushing, "We will manage."

Toru's smile sent a chill through him.

"It is...good to see some of your old personality returning now, Mitsuru. Channeling that shinigami you were for a while, you were more annoying, but this...this more pliant...obedient person I remember. You are irresistible..."

_Obedient? Ugh, this man is despicable..._

Tetsuya smiled back at him sweetly.

"I will be waiting for you in the gardens, my lord."

"Very well," said the regent, giving him a last, lingering kiss, then releasing him, "I will see you there. We will see then if I can't dispel any remaining fears about Sousuke Aizen."

Tetsuya felt a shiver pass through him at the words.

_Does he mean that he will try to reassure me, or is there something else he plans to do?_

He started in surprise as Akira appeared in front of him and coaxed him into the dressing area, where he clothed the consort in a lovely blue yukata, then guided him out of the royal bedroom and through the palace hallways to the gardens. The youth walked with him to the healing pool, then took his leave of the noble.

"I must return to the others and let them know that I was successful in making contact with you. I am sure that Master Aizen is very worried about you and will be insufferable with the others until he is reassured of your safety. He is a very passionate man when it comes to you, ne?"

Tetsuya caught his breath softly, memories of their intense lovemaking returning to his recently restored mind.

_He is a passionate man._

_And unlike this regent, Sousuke's passions are a reflection of love. That love comes through, even when he riles me with the shocking actions he takes._

_Sousuke..._

"Master Tetsuya?"

"S-sorry," Tetsuya said, blinking, "I became distracted for a moment."

"It is all right," said Akira, "Things are in a chaotic state. But what I asked you was if there was any message I should give Master Aizen?"

Tetsuya considered the question for a moment.

"Tell him...I am grateful for his concern. And that I will not take any unnecessary risks."

Akira smiled.

"Of course, Master Tetsuya. I will tell him. And I will be back to deliver your dinner."

"Arigato, Akira," Tetsuya said, watching quietly as the youth flash stepped away.

He turned then to face the healing pool, listening to the soft fall of water and enjoying the scents of the flowers. But as he stood looking down into the water, a quiver passed through him.

_That man has attacked me twice in this place...first, he killed Mitsuru and sent his soul...my soul...to the shinigami world to be reborn. Then, he used the king's prism to end my shinigami life and force me into transcendence. He tried to steal away my memory of who I have come to be. Yes, there is no mistaking it. Though I was Mitsuru once, I left that person behind when that life ended, and I am now a different person entirely. But as different as I became being reborn, my innate passion for Sousuke Aizen is nonetheless a constant. Even Mitsuru realized upon learning of Sousuke that his fate had been disrupted, and that our soul was meant for that man._

_I know that my heart and soul belong to him...now, not just because we were fated to be together, but because he is the only one who could ignite the passions in me. I had a gentle, innocent romance with Naoki, but there is nothing innocent about what burns between Sousuke and me. As unpredictable as he can be, I always feel his love for me seething beneath it._

Tetsuya shivered again at the memory of the two 'deaths' he had suffered at the regent's hands and started to turn away from the place, when a strong arm wrapped around his waist and another covered his mouth. He felt the invocation of power and tried to struggle, then froze as he felt himself being turned, and his mouth was warmly invaded by the lover he had just been thinking about.

"S-sousuke!" he managed between the slow, almost scathing kisses, "His majesty will..."

"He will not see through my illusion."

The angry edge in his lover's voice made Tetsuya swallow hard and catch his breath softly as Aizen's eyes glared down into his.

"And how dare you refer to that man as though he was the rightful king. Have you forgotten again who I am?" the heir said mockingly, sinking deeply into Tetsuya's mouth again before the flustered noble could answer.

He pulled free of Tetsuya, frowning.

"What is it?" asked Tetsuya, "Is something wrong, Sousuke?"

"I can taste that man on your lips, Tetsuya," Aizen said, barely concealing a dangerous flare of anger, "I will have to kill him for putting his hands on you."

He stepped closer again, freezing Tetsuya in place with his powerful, almost accusing gaze.

"And you," he said in a voice that sounded calm, but sent shivers through the noble's young body from end to end, "You, I am afraid, must be punished. Your recklessness and your outright defiance of my will has put you...the one I love, in unnecessary danger."

"It is not unnecessary," said Tetsuya, forcing the words out, despite the heavy press of Aizen's reiatsu against his, "I am no longer with child and I am not weak."

"But I am your king and I did order you to remain under protection and let me handle this."

And as much as he knew Aizen was a powerful man, and that he was certainly capable of forcing his will on him, Tetsuya's eyes caught fire, and he answered his lover's anger with flares of his own heat.

"You may be my lover, and heir to that throne, but you are not king yet!" he hissed furiously, "And even when you are, I will defy you any time you try to tell me not to fight for the things that matter. I won't be shuffled off to safety like a child and told to sit quietly and let you manage everything alone! If you were meant to be alone and to do everything yourself, then fate wouldn't have put me in your path, Sousuke! So..."

His words disappeared into a storm of hot, melting kisses as Aizen's mouth reclaimed his, and ravished it furiously until Tetsuya was nearly dizzy with the force of it. And when Aizen pulled away again, Tetsuya was left reeling.

"Tetsuya Kuchiki," Aizen said, smirking, "You truly have come back to me, ne? Stubbornness and all, I see..."

"I am determined to help you," Tetsuya said petulantly.

"Yes, I see that," Aizen said, sounding more amused now, than angry, "However...you might want to consider exactly what that choice entails before plunging in so recklessly."

He turned Tetsuya's head, and the younger man inhaled sharply in surprise at seeing the king now reclining in the shallows of the healing pool, with an illusion of Tetsuya, on his knees between the regent's parted thighs and pleasuring him enthusiastically with his mouth.

"Ugh!" Tetsuya grunted, looking sick again.

"I feel your disgust," Aizen said sedately, "But if you will remember to employ Kyouka Suigetsu's illusions when that man tries to molest you, you may in fact, hold on to your virtue and incur less punishments from me later, when I am your king!"

Tetsuya's eyes widened.

"Th-then you...aren't going to force me to...?" he began.

Aizen smiled at him affectionately.

"Well, you seem so determined...and I know how persistent you can be when you put your mind to something. Yes, I will accept your assistance in procuring the king's prism and helping me to transcend. But you, in turn, will agree to accept my advice, and you will be exceedingly cautious in your dealings with him. I did not come this far, only to lose you now, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya felt a throb of guilt and lowered his eyes, his anger draining away as quickly as it had arisen.

"I am...sorry, Sousuke. I know that your mind would be eased if I did not choose to involve myself."

"Yes, well...despite my instinct to protect you, I must admit that you are formidable. But you must remember that you have only recently passed over into transcendence and your body is still adjusting. Be cautious as you move forward. I do not want to lose you, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya smiled and sought his lover's arms, making a disgusted face as he again caught sight of his 'illusion self' pleasuring the regent only a few feet away.

"Now then," Aizen said, capturing Tetsuya's chin and looking down into his eyes, "since you have defied me and owe me something...and you have, in any case, aroused me, why don't we sink down into this lovely pool and indulge in each other for a bit?"

Tetsuya flushed instantly.

"I am not doing that...w-with him right there!" he objected.

"Well," said Aizen, smirking, "I did say that you deserved punishment..."


End file.
